Anthony Crolla was crowned WBA world lightweight champion in Manchester on Saturday night after stopping Darleys Perez in the fifth round of their bout.
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The 29-year-old landed a huge body shot that left Perez slumped on the canvas and he was unable to beat the count which in turn saw him surrender his world title.
It was an emotional night for Crolla, particularly after the disappointment of missing out on the title at the first time of asking when he was held to a draw by his rival despite seemingly winning the contest comfortably.
However, the judges played no part this time round as he ended the fight early after promising that he would be more clinical if an opportunity presented itself.
The pair traded punches in an action-packed start to the fight, but it was arguably Crolla who was landing the crisper shots as he attempted to break down the champion.
Nevertheless, it still came as huge shock to see Perez floored as the Colombian looked hurt immediately and simply couldn’t get back to his feet in time.
Crolla becomes the latest Brit to win a world title along with the likes of James DeGale and Scott Quigg, while old rival Derry Mathews could set up a rematch but could face competition with a whole host of other domestic fighters in what is a packed division for the UK.
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