Many onlookers felt the bout should have been halted sooner, as Byrne floored Crolla three times in the second round and once in the fifth round. Referee Ron Kearney allowed the fight to continue despite Byrne flooring Crolla multiple times. The decision has raised questions about officiating, with no official review announced yet.
Glenn Byrne suffered his first professional loss, and his record is now 7-1-1. William Crolla's professional record improved to 10-1. According to JB Promotions, Byrne is in good spirits, chatting, laughing, and joking, and is waiting on results of a CT scan, though his specific injuries from the knockout have not been disclosed. His current medical status and prognosis for recovery remain unclear.
That is why this sport is so incredible. I think William Crolla deserves so much respect. We all hope that Glenn Byrne is ok, we believe that he is, but we'll keep everybody updated. Our thoughts are with him. Two unbelievable warriors, I mean, this young man was out and when I say out, I'm talking about his career. What you saw in there, was a desperate man quite honestly fighting for his career and he just had to find a way, he just had to stay with it. And you could see the energy going from Byrne because of everything that he'd thrown into the fight to stop this man, who did so well to keep getting up. How he found a way back to win that fight, honestly, I know it sounds harsh to say you're fighting for your career, but on this stage, on this platform, a second defeat at that level would have almost been career-ending on this platform. That was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. Like I said, it's difficult to celebrate until we know Glenn Byrne's ok, but massive respect.
Glenn Byrne is trained and managed by his brother and former professional boxer Jay Byrne. Promoter Eddie Hearn acknowledged that William Crolla's career might have been over if he had lost the contest. According to Hearn, Crolla fought desperately to save his career, showing resilience by getting up from knockdowns. There are no confirmed plans for a rematch between the two fighters.