BRAVE CROLLA WANTS A £1M FLANAGAN SHOT
EDDIE HEARN has told Frank Warren to pay Anthony Crolla over £1million to make a showdown with Terry Flanagan happen.
Flanagan is an obvious fight for Crolla, after he lost his rematch on points against the classy Jorge Linares, and Hearn has held talks with his rival Warren, who promotes the WBO lightweight champ.
Crolla’s nickname is ‘Million Dollar’ and Hearn says the former WBA king deserves a purse in excess of that sum because he is bigger box office.
Hearn claims Flanagan is struggling to sell tickets for his next defence at Manchester Arena on April 8, while Crolla shifted 4,000 himself for Linares.
“It has to be seven figures,” said Hearn. “You can take well over seven figures on the gate.
“This is not a pop at Terry because he’s a very good fighter, but they have sold 400 tickets at the box office with two weeks to go.
“Crolla sold 4,000 on his own. Flanagan is a lovely guy, but he’s not the same level of draw.” Crolla (above) and Flanagan have a great backstory and the two Mancunians attended St Matthew’s High School, in Mostyn, before becoming England’s first lightweight world champions.
Hearn says he will try to make the fight happen, if Crolla wants it, and is prepared to let Warren broadcast it on his BoxNation channel or new TV partner BT Sport.
“That doesn’t matter,” said Hearn. “Not if it means Anthony making a lot of money.”
Hearn says Crolla has plenty of options, despite his one-sided unanimous points loss, and he would like him to move up to lightwelterweight to face Ricky Burns.
WBA Super title holder Burns faces IBF champ Julius Indongo in Glasgow on April 15, and Crolla is open to that Anglo-Scottish clash in the autumn.
“Light-welter?” he said. “I would certainly do that. Burns has come up from super-feather, so that’s certainly an option.
“Flanagan is another option and I’ve no problem fighting anyone in this division.
“I’m 30, but I don’t think I’m an old 30 because I live well. I just want to be involved in big fights.”
But Crolla’s immediate priority is to take a break after five fights in just over 18 months.