Thursday 5 October 2017 15:00, UK
Ahead of Anthony Crolla against Ricky Burns, live on Sky Sports, we ask fellow Manchester favourite John Murray what it is like to face 'Million Dollar'.
Crolla defeated Murray in the battle of Manchester three years ago with a stunning 10th round stoppage victory, so no one is better equipped to tell us what Burns will be up against on Saturday night...
As you are both from Manchester, have you always known Crolla well?
We'd known each other for years, all the way through the amateurs and then when we turned pro, there wasn't much of an age difference between us.
I think I was about 23 when he joined my gym, when I became British champion, so we used to spar a lot.
Was there any bad blood when the fight was signed?
A fight is a fight. It's business for me and I've got a lot of time for Ant, but it was nothing personal. I'd fought some friends before: I fought Lee Meager for the vacant British title and we were really good mates.
I never bad-mouth anyone I am fighting so it was never going to be anything. I don't even remember if Ant had one of his loud shirts on - he's definitely got better dress sense than me!
So when you fought, did Crolla surprise you at all?
Not really. The fight went exactly how I had planned, me being on top and just bullying him around the ring.
He showed everyone how tough he is, but I always knew that. He managed to weather the storm and I had been out of the ring for two years and began to tail off towards the end. I probably needed one or two fights before taking him on, to be honest.
So what is his biggest strength?
Anthony is a tough, tough man. I don't know how he stood up to some of those shots that I was letting off on him. It also showed how fit he is. I think his fitness won that fight for him.
I wouldn't say he is brilliant at anything, he just does everything well. That is what I try and tell my fighters now; if you've got that and the fitness it can will any battle.
And his best shot?
For me, it has to be his jab, it was good and solid and he used it very well.
We've seen Crolla get some big knockouts in recent years, so is he a big hitter?
You get better when the opponent gets better and Anthony has been able to prove his skill on top of his basics, which were always good.
To be honest, he is not the biggest puncher, but it is the number of shots he throws, the fitness he's got.
When we fought, he just kept coming forward to me and he will do the same to Burns - that is the key to his success.
Despite defeat, did you go for a beer afterwards?
Of course we did. Afterwards on the Saturday night!
Have you followed Crolla closely since that loss?
I was always going to keep an eye on him and I have seen a lot of his big fights, he has undoubtedly improved.
You get better when the opponent gets better and Anthony has been able to prove his skill on top of his basics, which were always good.
Now he faces Burns, is it really a win-or-bust situation for them both?
I think this will probably be the last fight for whoever loses but I can also see both the winner and loser walking away. This is a nice, last payday for both of them, but of course they don't have to hang up the gloves.
They have been very successful in their careers and I just can't see them matching that, they will just be on the way down from here.
For me, my career was going up and up, then I had two years out and fought Crolla but if I am honest, even if I had won that fight, I think it would've been my last one anyway. I knew going in there it was going to be.
Watch Anthony Crolla against Ricky Burns, Sam Eggington faces Mohamed Mimoune, Robbie Barrett battles Lewis Ritson and Conor Benn against Nathan Clarke from 7pm on Sky Sports Action.
