WBA World Champ Crolla heading to Jersey next weekend

Friday 13 May 2016

Boxing world champion Anthony ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla will be facing an old fighting foe when he comes to Jersey next month – although this time it won’t be in the ring.

Crolla, who successfully defended his WBA lightweight world title in Manchester last Saturday with a seventh round stoppage of Ismael Barroso, faced Jersey’s Ben Murray 11 years ago as an amateur.

The pair will meet again, but this time over a four-course dinner, on June 11 as Murray has invited Crolla over to the island for his sold-out BoxInBusiness white collar event at the Royal Trinity Showground.   

Boxing trainer Murray, who has organised the show which will feature 11 bouts, both male and female, said: “Anthony has confirmed he is coming over for the event, which is fantastic news.

“I went to his fight last weekend in Manchester with 20,000 other fight fans and it was a similar atmosphere in there to the days when Ricky Hatton was packing the place out. To have a current world champion come to Jersey is a great honour and we are delighted Anthony, plus his girlfriend and his IBF belt are coming over.

“I faced Anthony in the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) quarter-finals in 2005 and lost to him on points – quite rightly so as he was better than me. Anthony went on to win the lightweight title that year in Liverpool and I’ve followed his progress ever since.

“Imagine how delighted I was when he won the world title and then defended it. And now he is coming to Jersey as our main guest of honour – it going to be a fantastic night.” 

Murray has already sold all 600 tickets for the white collar event, which pits office workers in the ring for three, two minute rounds.

“Basically it is for people who have never boxed, work in an office and want to live the dream. I train them up for 12 weeks, three times a week and then they face someone in the ring of similar size and ability. It is competitive, but it also for fun and it is all to raise money for charity.”

In the eight years BoxInBusiness has been held, Murray and his organising team have raised £170,000 for charity – “We want to try and get through the £200,000 barrier this year” – and this time all monies raised will go to Teenage Cancer Trust and Le Tournoi, in association with Wet Wheels, a charity which takes disabled people on day trips on a specially adapted boat.

Murray, who boxed 92 times as an amateur and will referee the bouts on June 11, said: “They are two great causes and both are Jersey based, which is terrific. I know everyone will have a great night because Anthony is an inspirational boxer and also just about the nicest person anyone could wish to meet. I knew him over ten years ago when we were both fighting in the amateurs and he was exactly the same then, just a very likeable, down-to-earth person.”

Crolla is now one of the hottest talents in world boxing, but despite his global status he remains very humble.

He said: “First of all, I’m absolutely delighted to be coming to Jersey as I’ve travelled far and wide through boxing but have always wanted to come to the Channel Islands as I’ve heard so many good things about it.

“When I got the call from Ben I remembered our fight very well. It was a tough old scrap I can tell you! To be able to come to Jersey, meet up with Ben again and raise some money for two very worthy charities is terrific and I hope this is the first of many trips to the island.

“There will be a Q&A with me during the dinner and hopefully I can give some decent answers to some searching questions. I’m really delighted I will also be coming over to Jersey with my world title belt. I can’t wait. It should be a very special night.”