Lomachenko vs. Crolla – Start Time, Venue & Ways To Watch

Top Rank on ESPN to Bring Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Anthony Crolla Lightweight World Title Bout April 12 Exclusively on ESPN+

One of the biggest boxing events of the year will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ on April 12 at 11 p.m. ET from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The reigning WBA/WBO lightweight – and widely regarded pound-for-pound –champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs), is set to defend his unified lightweight world title against mandatory challenger Anthony Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs). The undercard bouts will also stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET. All the evening’s fights will be available in Spanish on ESPN+.

Friday’s Top Rank on ESPN card coincides with the one-year anniversary of the launch of ESPN+ – the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service.

Calling the action for ESPN will be Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), former two-division world titleholder Tim Bradley (analyst) and former pound-for-pound two-division world titleholder and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward (analyst). The on-location desk team will feature analysis from Mark Kriegel and Max Kellerman, and the ESPN+ Spanish coverage includes play-by-play from Jorge Eduardo Sánchez and former boxing champion Juan Manuel Márquez as analyst.”

ESPN’s official coverage of fight week kicked off Sunday, April 7, with Countdown to Lomachenko vs. Crolla, where viewers follow rival boxers Vasiliy Lomachenko and Anthony Crolla as they prepare for a must-see world title fight on April 12. See inside the training camp of pound-for-pound superstar Lomachenko as he trains at his home base in Oxnard, Calif., while former world champion Crolla trains to return the WBA title he once held to its rightful owner.

ESPN.com will have the fight covered throughout the week with a feature on Anthony Crolla from Nick Parkinson, a unique look at how the world’s best boxing trainers would prepare their fighters to face Vasiliy Lomachenko from Steve Kim and a complete guide to the fight from Dan Rafael. Rafael and Kim will be at the fight offering their unique insight as the action goes down.

Top Rank on ESPN (All times Eastern) 2018

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Vijender Singh to be trained by Freddie Roach for April 12 ESPN+ fight

Indian boxing sensation and undefeated super middleweight contender Vijender Singh is set to begin the next phase of his career with a new trainer — Hall of Famer Freddie Roach — in his corner.

The 33-year-old Singh recently relocated his training base to Southern California to work with Roach, a 2012 International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) inductee.

Singh will make his ring return Friday, April 12 at Staples Center in a scheduled eight-round bout on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Anthony Crolla undercard against an opponent to be named. His bout will stream live in the United States on ESPN+ and will be featured on the undercard broadcast, which begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

“I am thrilled to start my training under such a legendary figure in world boxing,” Singh said. “It’s a great honor for me to train with Freddie, who has already trained the likes of so many world champion boxers. Professional boxing in the United States is of the highest level, and I believe Freddie is the right guy to bring the best out of me. I look forward to showing the boxing fans a new and improved Vijender Singh. I know that with Freddie’s guidance, I can become a world champion.”

“I believe Vijender has the talent and the dedication to become a world champion,” Roach said. “He has a great amateur background, a style that will give any super middleweight in the world problems, and power in both hands.”

“Vijender represents the most populous country in the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We believe that with Freddie in his corner, Vijender will become a major star and open up the great country of India to boxing.”

Singh (10-0, 7 KOs), one of India’s most revered sporting figures, became the first Indian boxer to capture an Olympic medal when he took bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has not fought since a unanimous decision win over Ernest Amuzu on Dec. 23, 2017, in Jaipur, India, and will be making his American debut on April 12. No Indian boxer has ever won a professional world title, and Singh, with Roach in his corner, hopes to make history yet again.

About ESPN+
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