Carl Frampton vs Scott Quigg: Ricky Hatton, Carl Froch and more have lit up the Manchester Arena
Wednesday 24 February 2016 15:10, UK
Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg will fight this weekend at the Manchester Arena, a venue that has hosted some of British boxing's most memorable nights.
The world super-bantamweight title unification bout between IBF holder Frampton (21-0-KO14) and WBA king Quigg (31-0-2-KO23) will be screened live on Sky Sports Box Office and promises to be one of the sport's key clashes of 2016.
But as fans from the locality and Belfast alike prepare to descend on the famous 21,000-capacity venue, let's look back on what we consider to be five of the most significant fights to have taken place there...
Anthony Crolla v Darleys Perez II
November 21, 2015
Local lad Crolla is widely recognised as one of the sport's most likeable characters. The lightweight had endured a rough run of luck prior to his big night. The previous November, Crolla had sustained a fractured skull and broken ankle when confronting burglars near his home.
Then, there was the first bout. Almost everyone thought Crolla had comfortably done enough to relieve Perez of the WBA world title - but the judges scored it as a majority draw. The governing body quickly ordered a rematch and Crolla was back at the same venue just four months later to try to complete the fairytale.
The opening four rounds were attritional and tough to score. Two of the ringside judges were scoring the fight as a draw when out of nowhere in the fifth, Crolla whipped in a body shot. Perez crumpled with a pained expression and failed to rise in time to beat the count - sending the crowd into rapture as Crolla mounted the ropes and screamed: "Manchestaaaaaar!"
Amir Khan v Andriy Kotelnik
July 18, 2009
Khan captured the hearts of the nation at the 2004 Olympics as he elegantly boxed his way to the lightweight final. Although he was denied by the legendary Cuban Mario Kindelan, much was expected of the Bolton youngster as he turned professional the following year.
Things began smoothly as he breezed through 11 fights before relieving Willie Limond of the Commonwealth title - but there was an emphatic wake-up call served in September 2008 when the heavy-handed Breidis Prescott silenced the Mancester Arena with a first round stoppage.
Less than a year later, Khan had bounced back and beat ageing Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera to earn a shot at WBA world super-lightweight champion Kotelnik. It wasn't the prettiest of victories, but one of Britain's brightest talents was a world champion for the first time courtesy of a disciplined points victory.
Joe Calzaghe v Jeff Lacy
March 4, 2006
Jeff 'Left Hook' Lacy had everyone in America talking. Like Calzaghe, the Floridian was unbeaten when he arrived on English shores with his IBF super-middleweight world title - but it was his ruthless manner during recent defences against Robin Reid and Scott Pemberton that cemented his status as a clear favourite to relieve Calzaghe of the WBO crown.
The visitor started fast and went head-hunting, but Calzaghe's defensive skills and solid chin negated much of his work. Lacy was clearly frustrated and determined to live up to the hype, but he only seemed to succeed in exhausting himself. By the middle rounds, the sting in his work seemed to be subsiding.
Calzaghe began to pile it on in the seventh as he unleashed a withering barrage to hasten his momentum. With a boisterous crowd roaring him on, the Welshman went on to knock Lacy down in the final session to put the finishing touch to a masterful points victory and add another chapter to his remarkable story.
Carl Froch v George Groves I
November 23, 2013
The saga began in Manchester. Well, sort of... The saga actually began in interviews, press conferences and on social media after Groves was named challenger to Froch's IBF world super-middleweight title. The animosity between the pair snowballed into a soap opera and a nation was gripped by the prospect of them hitting each other.
A more dramatic first round the Manchester Arena may not have seen. There were audible gasps as Groves did what he promised yet few thought him capable of - producing a heavy right hand and putting the defending champion on the seat of his pants for only the second time in his career. For the next few rounds, 'The Cobra' seemed to be in a daze.
Despite taking countless more solid shots, Froch showed what champions are made of by weathering the storm and gradually grinding the younger man down. The eventual ninth-round stoppage will be debated forever. What won't be debated is that the Manchester Arena saw an absolute classic that night.
Ricky Hatton v Kostya Tszyu
June 4, 2005
It had to be, didn't it? Manchester has never loved a fighter more than it loves Ricky Hatton. Seen as the definition of a 'people's champion', Hatton was going in against a man regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet - albeit one who had only recently returned from Achilles tendon and shoulder injuries.
The Australian brought his IBF world super-lightweight title to Manchester and was a clear favourite to leave with it. To add to the foreboding, the fight was scheduled for 2am to accommodate American TV. Hatton's home crowd was certainly in good voice by the time the opening bell sounded.
Tszyu's powerful right hand connected with Hatton several times that evening but still the 'Hitman' buzzed forward. His relentless work-rate and violent attention to Tszyu's midriff would tell eventually. Before the final round, Tszyu was pulled out by his corner and Hatton sank to the canvas in tearful jubilation as his fans raised both the decibel level and the roof.
Carl Frampton vs Scott Quigg, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office on February 27, is available to order via Sky remote and online
