Jorge Linares-Anthony Crolla set for rematch in Manchester

It’s official, WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) will head back into the lions den on March 25 to rematch Anthony Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in Manchester, England, ESPN reports.

This rematch was mostly expected to come off after Crolla exercised a rematch clause in their original contract, but for the champion to head back to the challenger’s hometown to defend his title is nothing to sniff at. Linares is more than game, nonetheless.

The first fight between Linares and Crolla was a good one which lived up to expectations. There was some back and forth action but Linares ultimately pulled out a unanimous decision. And promoter Eddie Hearn is expecting nothing less than high drama for the second installment.

"The last fight was a fight of the year contender and Linares boxed out of his skin, but one thing we know about Anthony is his ability to bounce back, and he is so determined to win this fight," Hearn said. "He has created some wonderful atmospheres at the Manchester Arena over the last few years and I believe March 25 will be the best yet."

Linares, 31, is one of the best boxing stylists in the sport, with his three defeats really only coming by way of having trouble holding up to a punch. But that fatal flaw hasn’t reared its ugly head in about 5 five years as Linares has rattled off 10 consecutive wins.