William Crolla gets a tricky test in front of his home fans

William Crolla continues his rebuild this Friday, April 3 as he takes on Glenn Byrne. The bout takes place at Planet Ice in Altrincham as chief support to Pat Brown’s cruiserweight clash with veteran Vasil Ducar. DAZN will screen the event live.

Read on for my Crolla vs Byrne predictions.

Crolla vs Byrne Odds

Crolla is 2/5 to pull off the win here. You can back Byrne at 23/10 or take the draw at 12/1.

Crolla vs Byrne Fight Preview

William Crolla has enjoyed the spoils and encountered the pressures of entering the ring with a famous boxing surname. Will’s brother Anthony, who is also his trainer, is a former WBA lightweight champion. ‘Million Dollar’ had two unforgettable battles with the legendary Jorge Linares and beat world champions like Darleys Perez, Ismael Barroso and Ricky Burns in front of packed houses at Manchester Arena. In that fighting city, the man is royalty.

In many ways, emerging as the younger sibling of a champion is harder than as the child of one. At least when a son or daughter debuts, there has usually been a significant passage of time in between. But the younger Crolla debuted just three-and-a-half years since Anthony hung up the gloves.

For the most part, Crolla managed the shadow admirably. An eye for a stoppage was a point of contrast, with William’s power game differing from his slicker, more technical elder sibling. The rising star won six of his first eight outings via stoppage, earning a Matchroom contract in the process.

But what goes up must come down and there is a sickening streak of schadenfreude that some in the boxing fraternity seem to savour when it is someone in Crolla’s position who falls. The same jackals cackled when Campbell Hatton lost two bouts to James Flint. The dead-eyed, Statler-and-Waldorf snickering when a young boxer falls short of living up to a legend. As if Crolla’s success was a personal affront to them, sat on their sofa watching on DAZN. 

Crolla’s reckoning came at the hands of Fraser Wilkinson, who entered with an 11-2 record had hit his threat well. The underdog boxed capably, judging range brilliantly and befuddling Crolla on the way to a sixth-round TKO finish. 

This was no one-punch miracle from an unfancied fighter, either. Wilkinson, like Crolla, is a southpaw and he used a potent right jab to open the lane for sickening left hands that found the target with grim regularity. Crolla was game and battling but too static to stop the assault. In the sixth of eight scheduled rounds, those constant, thudding lefts caught up with him.

There is no shame in that. All those sneering that William will never live up to Anthony forget the fact that the elder Crolla, the former lightweight champion of the world no less, lost in his eighth professional contest. His conqueror was 3-8-1 Youssef Al Hamidi, who would retire with 125 losses on his ledger in 2019, the same year Crolla waved goodbye. But the majority of great boxers lose. What makes them great is how they come back.

Anthony Crolla lost another three fights before lifting that WBA championship and packing out arenas. Obviously another three defeats is not part of the William Crolla development plan, but his brother will certainly have been in his ear about what it takes to come back from adversity.

Step one was taken ably. Crolla stopped Harley Hodgetts in three rounds in his last outing. A rangy foe with fast hands, but beatable at 5-5 coming in. Crolla did everything asked of him, getting rid of the last before half way. A strong, understated comeback.

Byrne is a step-up, as he should be. At 7-0-1, the Irishman drew for in a fight for his country’s national super welterweight title against Charly Lopez a year ago. This is a first 10-rounder for both men, adding another element to this fascinating clash.

Byrne isn’t coming to Altrincham to lose. Crolla’s loud and proud supporters aren’t visiting the outskirts of their city to see their man defeated either. All the ingredients are there for a fine Friday night fight.

Crolla vs Byrne Full Card

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Crolla vs Byrne Prediction

This could be a fun scrap this one. Byrne likes to come forward and have a set-to and Crolla is comfortable in close quarters. Byrne is no journeyman and will enter the ring full of belief. Meanwhile, his opponent knows he cannot afford to lose at this stage of his career.

I’m going to give Crolla the nod here at 2/5, but I think he’ll have to work hard for it.

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