By Terence Dooley
Manchester’s Terry Flanagan fights California-based Jose Zepeda for the vacant WBO lightweight title on July 11th and he believes that a win for him and Anthony Crolla, who fights Darleys Perez for the WBA World belt the following week, could set up an all-Manchester unification showdown.
Flanagan, 27-0 (10), has told the Manchester Evening News that friendship would be put to one side should both men net world titles. “I've obviously got to concentrate on July 11 first but if I win and then Crolla can win a week later then that gives the possibility of a unification fight,” he said during a conversation with Sheldan Keay.
“I'm good friends with Crolla as we went to the same school and he doesn't live too far away from me either. We went to the same amateur club for a few years too so we have known each other for a long time. Some people are saying I'm stealing his thunder a bit by having my world-title fight a week before him but I don't think he'll be fussed as he's just concentrating on winning his own world title. Me against him would be a great fight for Manchester but I don't want to get carried away and look too far ahead so let's see what happens next month first.”
However, the 25-year-old contender has to get past the undefeated Zepeda, 23-0 (20), first; “Turbo” believes that the lightweight limit might be a step too far for his opponent and that this will play into his hands on fight night.
He said: “We've watched bits of Zepeda and the guys he's fighting are OK, but when I get hit I'll come through and answer back. He is big at the weight but he has never managed to get down to the lightweight limit in his career yet. He might feel big and strong in his other fights but we'll see what he feels like when he has to get down to 135 pounds. Anybody can be strong for a few rounds so is he still going to have that punch when the fight goes into the later stages?”
Frank Warren has secured home advantage for Flanagan by staging the fight at Manchester’s Velodrome, which is right on the Ancoats-based fighters doorstep, in a bid to ensure that the former Prizefighter: The Lightweights tournament winner becomes a world title-holder.
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