• Boxing

Crolla in hospital with fractured skull after attack

Anthony Crolla was training for a world title fight against Richar Abril © Getty Images

Enlarge

British fighter Anthony Crolla is in a stable condition in hospital after suffering a fractured skull and a broken ankle in an altercation with two burglars on Tuesday night.

The Manchester lightweight confronted the intruders when he heard them leaving his neighbours' home in Chadderton and was hit over the head with a concrete slab.

He was taken to Royal Oldham Hospital, where he underwent a scan, with his world title fight against Richar Abril on January 23 at the Manchester Arena now postponed.

"We're devastated for Anthony and his family, you couldn't meet a nicer guy in boxing," Crolla's promoter Eddie Hearn told the Daily Mail.

"It was a dream to get him his world title shot. I've alerted Abril's team and hopefully we can rearrange it but we don't know the extent of Anthony's injuries.

"His health is our first concern."

Crolla's trainer, Joe Gallagher, said his fighter "could have been killed" and had stitches in his head and a deep wound.

"He was in bits in the hospital," Gallagher told the BBC. "His world title dreams are in tatters.

"The more I think about it, he is lucky to be alive. Unbelievable."

Gallagher also said that Crolla will need to have surgery on his ankle, which was broken in two places.

Crolla becomes the third boxer to suffer serious injury in 2014, with former European champion Jamie Moore shot in both legs in Marbella in August and world welterweight champion Kell Brook stabbed in the leg in Tenerife.

Since losing to Derry Mathews in a British title fight in 2012, Crolla has rebuilt his career with a draw in their rematch a year later, a win over Gavin Rees and stoppages of Stephen Foster and John Murray.

He had said of his scheduled title fight: "To have the world title shot in Manchester is a huge factor.

"Without wanting to sound cheesy, it doesn't get any bigger than that. I am a Manchester lad so to be fighting in Manchester for a world title, I couldn't ask for anything more and the only way it could get better than that is to go out there and win it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd