Fight fans may be going crazy for a certain ‘other’ matchup this weekend, but Crolla vs Barroso is a fight that should be firmly on the radar. On paper, Anthony Crolla’s pro career achievements easily trump that of Venezuela’s Ismael Barroso, but you have to wonder whether it was wise for Crolla to take on such a ferocious banger in his first title defense. Manchester’s Crolla, who recovered from a coma-inducing burglary attack last year to capture Darleys Perez’s WBA belt, can’t afford to overlook his Saturday night foe.
Going in, Crolla carries a colorful 30 wins, 4 defeats, 3 draws, 12 knockouts, while Barroso will be looking to keep his unblemished slate of 19 wins, 2 draws, 18 knockouts in tact en route to lifting his first piece of world glory.
So who is Barroso? He’s not a Top 10 Lightweight here at BB and isn’t the youngest of challengers at 33-years-old, but is unbeaten, steadily improving with every fight, is a technically sound boxer-puncher, and carries alarming power (86% KO). He’s also a southpaw which should be noted. Going into last December’s scrap with Crolla’s countryman Kevin Mitchell, Barroso was the unknown commodity with a fair number of question marks buzzing around his head. But it didn’t take long for Barroso to prove himself to be the real deal, needing just four rounds and change to score his tenth consecutive knockout.
Mitchell, a respected two-time world title challenger who took Jorge Linares into the trenches seven months earlier, was shown zero mercy. Mitchell was knocked down courtesy of a stiff jab in the 4th round, off a counter-right in the 5th, followed by a venomous barrage which forced the referee to step in. Mitchell handed in his notice not long after the fight, hanging his gloves up indefinitely.
Crolla vs Barroso: Fight Time & TV Channel: You can catch the Matchroom Boxing card Live on Sky Sports 2 from 7:30pm GMT, while AWE viewers can get their fill from 2:30pm EDT.
Crolla vs Barroso: Extended Tale of the Tape
Note: Advantageous stats are indicated in red (some may be subjective), and championship stats refer to ‘fully fledged world titles’ only.
Anthony Crolla vs Ismael Barroso
Physical/Vital
Birthplace
Manchester, England … El Tigre, Venezuela
Age
29 … 33
Height
5’ 8.5” … 5′ 8.5″
Reach
67″ … 69″
Stance
Orthodox … Southpaw
Record
Debut
2006 … 2005
Bouts
37 … 21
Wins
30 … 19
Defeats
4 … 0
Draws
3 … 2
No Contests
0 … 0
Knockout Ratio
32% (12) … 86% (18)
1st Round Knockouts
2 … 8
2nd Round Knockouts
1 … 2
3rd Round Knockouts
3 … 2
4th – 6th Round Knockouts
3 … 6
Defeats by Knockout
1 … 0
Knockdowns Suffered
1 … 1
Rounds Boxed
220 … 64
12-Rounders Completed
4 … 0
Current Winning Streak
9 (inc. 3 Draws) … 21 (inc. 2 Draws)
Undefeated Fighters Defeated
3 … 0
Latest Win
Darleys Perez (KO 5) … Kevin Mitchell (TKO 5)
World Title Bout Experience
Wins
1 … NA
Defeats
0 … NA
Draws
1 … NA
No Contests
0 … NA
Successful Defenses
NA … NA
Longest Championship Reign
11/2015 – Present … NA
Major Titles Won
WBA (135 lbs) … NA
Major Titles Currently Held
WBA (135 lbs) … NA
Boxing Base Top 10 World Ranking
No.4 … Unranked
Notable Performances
CROLLA: Darleys Perez (KO 5, DRAW 12), John Murray (TKO 10), Stephen Foster (RTD 6), Gavin Rees (MD 12), Derry Matthews (DRAW 12, LOSS: TKO 6), Kieren Farrell (UD 10), Gary Sykes (SD 3, LOSS: PTS 10), Willie Limond (UD 12), John Watson (TKO 9), Andy Morris (TKO 7), Michael Brodie (TKO 3)
BARROSO: Kevin Mitchell (TKO 5), Issouf Kinda (TKO 6), Oscar Arenas (KO 1)
Common Opponents
None
What’s your take on BB’s Crolla vs Barroso Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats? And how do you see the action playing out on Saturday night? We’ll have Live Results Coverage right here on Boxing Base, plus Live Round by Round Updates via @BoxingBase.
