There was not one single complaint from the boxer, corner, promoter or crowd when Anthony Crolla dropped a tight decision and lost his WBA lightweight title to Jorge Linares in Manchester on Saturday night.Crolla fought the fight of his life and when the final bell sounded he could barely walk or talk, so total was his commitment and draining his exhaustion. It was an odd end, strangely muted considering the closeness of two of the three judges: all three voted in favour of Linares, one of boxings surest operators, and two separated the fighters by just one and two points respectively. It was close, but in many ways it was not even remotely close and that only happens when the best fight the best.It was mesmerising at times watching the brilliant Linares think his way out of corners, counter punch with such speed that trying to count the shots is nearly impossible to the human eye. Crolla, who was defending his WBA lightweight title, kept the first 10 rounds close with a bold performance aimed at breaking the spirit of Linares. It was a good plan but Linares was brilliant, the fighter with all the gifts in front of a sing-a-long crowd led in appreciation, and worship of Crolla from ringside, by Wayne Rooney and Ricky Hatton.There was talk of a rematch in February or March next by Eddie Hearn, the promoter who has guided Crolla from boxings obscure fringes to main attraction at the No. 1 fight venue, but that result is easily foretold: Linares would win again, sorry to report. Crollas chance of beating the Venezuelan was in this fight when he had momentum.Linares had been out of the ring for 11 long months with an injured hand and the home crowd would play their part. There was simply nothing more Crolla could have done and he can shake off his stiffness this week with pride.The fight with Linares, a world champion at three weights, was a huge risk for Crolla and its announcement put an end to all talk of a partial unification with WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan. The Flanagan fight was draped in plenty of cash -- there was an offer of ￡700,000 for Crolla from Flanagans promoter, Frank Warren -- and perhaps Crollas thinking was that beating Linares would increase his financial power at the negotiating table for a Flanagan fight in the future. That advantage has gone, but the fight remains.The defeat now means that in three consecutive September Saturdays five British boxers have lost in world title fights, three were stopped and two lost their world titles, which reduces the total number of British boxers currently holding a version of the world title to 11. The figure, still a record high, includes welterweight Kell Brook, who looks unlikely to ever make the limit again after his trip to middleweight to fight Gennady Golovkin.Hearn, however, was right when he added: It shows the world that British boxers are not afraid to take big fights; they have all dared to be great -- Kell (Brook), Liam (Smith) last week in Texas and Ant tonight. They all went for big fights.Before the end of November Anthony Joshua, Ricky Burns, Tony Bellew, Billy Joe Saunders, Flanagan and a couple of other British world champions will try and defend their titles and end the losing sequence. They will not all succeed, but it is doubtful if any will lose with as much dignity and pride as Crolla. Tigers Jerseys China .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Alan Trammell Jersey Large . 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Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. TROON, Scotland -- Camilo Villegas of Colombia pulled out of the Olympics on Monday because he is trying to keep his job on the PGA Tour.Villegas had indicated for the past two weeks that he wanted to be in Rio for golfs return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904. While he considered the risk of the Zika virus -- Villegas and his wife are trying to start a family -- he said his main concern was work.Having pulled out of the Barbasol Championship last week with a thumb injury, Villegas is No. 146 in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 125 advance to the playoffs and keep full cards for the following season, and Villegas has only four tournaments left. He is playing the RBC Canadian Open this week.This is an incredibly difficult decision for me, but ultimately I have to do whats best for my career, Villegas said.He is the 21st male golfer to withdraw from the Olympics, and he joins Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe in citing his job security for pullingg out.ddddddddddddRight now, I have not secured my PGA Tour card for next season and I have several opportunities to improve my FedEx Cup standing, one of which overlaps with the Olympics, Villegas said. I have waited until the last minute to withdraw as I have been working hard to secure my playing privileges so I can continue to represent Colombia on the PGA Tour.By withdrawing, Colombia will not have a male golfer in the Olympics next month.Villegas would be replaced by Jose Filipe Lima of Portugal, which now will have two players in the 60-man field.The 21 players who have pulled out include the top four in the world -- Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. The Olympics will have two of the major champions from this year in Masters winner Danny Willett of England and Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden. ' ' '