After cruising through his quarterfinal, Anthony Crolla started his semifinal fight with Gary Sykes, a rematch from 2009, very well, winning the first round. But suddenly, Sykes warmed up, didn't look rusty anymore, and took over in the final two rounds to win a split decision, 29-28 on all three cards, two for Sykes and one for Crolla.
Sykes now moves on to face Terry Flannigan in the tournament final after his second win over Crolla. Flannigan defeated a busted-up Derry Mathews in the semifinal after outclassing Liam Patrick Walsh in the first round.