Scott Quigg and Anthony Crolla top an epic night of boxing on Sky Sports on July 18 – with three brilliant World title battles set to thrill fight fans.
At the Manchester Arena, Quigg defends his WBA World Super Bantamweight title against former IBF king Kiko Martinez while Anthony Crolla fights for his first World title against classy Colombian WBA Lightweight king Darleys Perez.
Over in Germany, the fourth instalment of a classic modern day rivalry takes centre stage as Arthur Abraham defends his WBO World Super Middleweight title against Robert Stieglitz, exclusively aired in the UK on Sky Sports.
Abraham’s last two outings were on Sky Sports as he defended his belt against Liverpool’s Paul Smith, and he holds two wins to Stieglitz’s one in their first three clashes all for the title ‘King Arthur’ defends, having taken the belt from Stieglitz in August 2012 only for Stieglitz to claim the belt back in stunning fashion in March 2013 with a fourth round stoppage win, bludgeoning his foe and causing horrendous damage to the champion’s left eye. Abraham then edged ahead in the compelling story of the two Super Middleweights with a split decision win a year later – Abraham will be looking for a seventh straight win since his loss to Stieglitz, who will want to level the score against his great rival.
Quigg makes the fifth defence of his WBA crown having blasted away his first three challengers in devastating fashion before tough Japanese visitor Hidenori Otake bravely took him the distance in Liverpool in November, with Quigg securing a wide points decision.
The Bury star now faces the sternest test of his reign in the shape of former IBF World ruler Martinez, who landed his title in stunning fashion in August 2013 stopping the unbeaten Jhonatan Romero in America before stoppage wins in his first two defences against Jeffrey Mathebula and Hozumi Hasegawa. Martinez is no stranger to the UK and Ireland having boxed Carl Frampton twice in Belfast and dramatically knocking out Bernard Dunne in the first round of their European title clash in Dublin.
It will be an emotional night for Crolla who finally lands the chance to get his hands on a World title after the have-a-go hero was robbed of a crack at previous champion Richar Abril in Manchester in January when he suffered a fractured skull and broken ankle when confronting burglars at his neighbour’s house in December.
‘Million Dollar’ faces the Colombian champion who landed the interim crown in June against Argenis Lopez in the Dominican Republic and successfully defended it in October by stopping Jaider Parra in Columbia and in January with a wide points triumph over Jonathan Maicelo in California, and he was then elevated to full champion.
Crolla will be eager to return to the run of form that saw him land a shot at Abril, with a trio of impressive wins at the Manchester Arena over domestic foes Gavin Rees, Stephen Foster Jr. and John Murray.
There’s a pair of cracking British title fights on the Manchester bill as big-hitters Sam Eggington and Glenn Foot battle for the Welterweight crown while stylish duo Chris Jenkins and Tyrone Nurse meet for the Light Welterweight strap.
