Leigh Wood retained his world featherweight title after a blistering battle between Josh Warrington and the WBA champion. The fight on October 7th at the Utilita Arena, Sheffield, was Wood’s first defence of his WBA title since becoming champion once again. Warrington entered the night eager become a three-time featherweight champion, and started the contest in impressive fashion, landing a series of devastating blows on Woods.
The Nottingham man took several fierce blows and looked to be headed to a defeat at the end of the sixth round, with the judges’ scorecards showing 5-1 in favour of Warrington. Somehow, he stayed on his feet and produced a brilliant demonstration of combination punching before finishing off his opponent with a right to the head, upsetting the betting odds in the process.
Warrington believed he’d beaten the count and with seconds remaining of the round he thought he’d have time to recover on his stool. The referee saw it differently and called the fight for Brooks. Warrington protested but there was little doubt it was the right decision. Woods victory saw him stretch his record to 28 wins and 3 defeats.
What next for Woods
Leigh Wood said of his victory over Warrington:
“I fight until the end. I’ve not got a quit in me. I knew he’d get sloppy at times and I made him pay. I had to give rounds away, he’s a great champion and he doesn’t quit. I had to dig in and dig deep and I did but I knew my power would get to him. He went on to say, “Featherweight is done now. We’ll sit down and assess the situation to see what’s next.”
There’s a belief Woods will now move up to super-featherweight and could fight at the home of his beloved Nottingham Forest next. Warrington’s future is less certain.
What is Josh Warrington’s next move?
He may be three years younger than Woods, but Warrington’s boxing future seems less certain. While it was only his third defeat in 35 fights, it was back-to-back losses in world title fights in under a year. His record now stands at 31 wins, 3 loses, and one draw.
Josh Warrington put the defeat down to switching off “for a split second.” He went on to say:
“I’ve been out of the ring for ten months. I felt at times I was really coming into it. He caught me with a good shot, I felt good, I listened to the count six, seven, eight and then he waves off the fight. I’m disappointed, I feel let down. I don’t feel he’s done me justice. The stoppage is what it is on the record.”
In reference to the fans that turned out to support him, Warrington said:
“I’m grateful for everyone that has turned out tonight. They’ve supported me for 14 years and supported me through thick and thin. I hope it isn’t the last one but if it is then, thank you.”
It’s just the second time Josh Warrington has been stopped in a fight after losing to by TKO against Mauricio Lara in 2021.
Long Career
Warrington turns 33 on 14th November so he’s no longer the up-and-coming thing he once was. After making his professional debut in October 2009, Warrington has been a pro for nearly 14 years and boxed 268 pro rounds during his career. That’s a lot of miles on the clock.
Full Record
- Wins: 31
- By KO: 8
- KO%: 26%
- Lost: 3
- Stopped: 2
- Draws: 1
- Pro Rounds: 268
Potential fights
Straight after his defeat, Warrington called for a rematch with Woods, but if that happens it will probably be at the 130-pound limit, as Wood does not want to fight at featherweight again. Alternative names that have been suggested are: Michael Conlan, Christopher Diaz, and Jazza Dickens.
In the past, Warrington has talked about his desire to go to America and make a name for himself over there. He claimed, “who else will take a big fanbase over there? I strongly believe I’ll take some big numbers”. But this recent defeat will not persuade Eddie Hearn to start looking state side for an opponent any time soon.
Retirement?
After losing to Luis Alberto Lopez in a mandatory IBF world title defence in December 2022, Warrington told reporters that he was not yet ready to hang up his gloves and he still had more to give, saying.
“I’m going to carry on. I’m going to get back in the gym straight away because at this moment in time I would be doing myself an injustice if I were to walk away from it like this. There’s plenty left in the tank, so I’m hoping I can come back even stronger.”
Fans of the former two-time world champion will be hoping those words still hold true, and the Leeds Warrior will soon be back in the ring doing what he does best.
