CROLLA: TIME RIGHT TO GIVE UP THE FIGHT

ANTHONY CROLLA admitted he knew four rounds into his clash with Frank Urquiaga that he’d made the right decision to call it quits.

The former WBA lightweight champion laboured to a majority points win against the Spaniard.

Crolla, 32, felt he deserved the victory, but the judges’ cards in his favour of 98-92 and 97-93 were an insult to the visiting fighter after a tough 10-round battle (right) at

Manchester Arena. This was Crolla’s farewell and, although it was not a glittering performance to end it, he will be happy his hand was raised and his 38th victory out of 45 fights was etched on his record. If there was a sliver of doubt in his mind that he should walk away, this removed it.

“After the fourth round, I knew the time was right,” said the Manchester hero (left). “I am normally quick with returning punches but it didn’t happen tonight. It is time.” Saul Canelo Alvarez knocked out Russian Sergey Kovalev in Las Vegas and then refused to rule out a third fight with rival Gennady Golovkin as he confirmed he can still make the middleweight limit.

Alvarez is now technically a fourweight world champion as he added the WBO light-heavyweight crown to his collection. “Golovkin is not a challenge. We fought 24 rounds and I beat him. But if it represents business, then why not?” he said.

Ireland’s Katie Taylor, the women’s lightweight queen, moved up to 10st to take the WBO light-welterweight crown from Christina Linardatou.