Jorge Linares tops Anthony Crolla to set up possible showdown with Mikey Garcia

Jorge Linares is an ever-improving fighter, even at age 31.

The latest evidence? A 12-round shellacking of Anthony Crolla on Saturday in Manchester — all three judges scored it 118-109 — where Linares showed off his impressive toolset.

Punches thrown with blistering power from all angles. But none more so than the left uppercut that dropped Crolla, 30, in Round 7.

The Venezuelan battered Crolla, whose left eye bled profusely from Round 6 on, to the final bell. It was a game effort from the Brit, but the rematch proved unnecessary.

It was even more clear in this outing — Linares took Crolla's title in a closer first fight in September — that Crolla simply isn't in the WBA lightweight champ's class.

But guess who is? Mikey Garcia.

"I did what I had to do," Linares said. "I'm ready to fight everybody."

The WBC 135-pound champion was a guest analyst on Showtime's coverage, and there's a great chance we see that matchup soon.

"He looked great. He performed better than the first time," Garcia said. "Showed skills, flexibility. I think it would be a great, great fight for me. Let's get it done. I think it can happen this summer."

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Linares (42-3, 27 KOs) never let Crolla into the fight. The three-division champion controlled the action with his piston jab, and was able to touch Crolla to the body over and over.

When he unleashed his best weapon — the right uppercut -— Crolla was a willing target.

With Crolla (31-6-3, 13 KOs) out of the way, it's on to bigger and better, and hopefully, that means a title unification showdown between Linares and Garcia in a few months.