Anthony Crolla's second defence of his WBA lightweight title ended in a unanimous decision defeat as he was convincingly outboxed by classy Venezuelan Jorge Linares in Manchester on Saturday night.
The popular Mancunian had moments of success but, against a simply superior fighter, proved incapable of making the adaptations needed to recover from a losing position.
Victory for Linares, widely considered the world's leading lightweight, appears to have ended hopes of Crolla fighting domestic rival Terry Flanagan. Linares spoke, however, of his willingness to give Crolla a rematch.
Source: PA
