Warrington v Martinez 2

**Master** · 03-22-2022 12:40 PM

Josh Warrington accepts his career would likely be over if he loses to Kiko Martinez this weekend.

Warrington is seeking to regain the IBF featherweight title he vacated 14 months ago, shortly after which he was battered then surprisingly stopped inside nine rounds by unheralded Mexican Mauricio Lara.

A technical draw after an accidental clash of heads last September denied Warrington the chance to avenge the first professional setback of his career and the pair have gone their separate ways for now.

Warrington (30-1-1, 7KOs) has an unexpected opportunity to become a two-time world champion on Saturday and, while a return to winning ways opens up several possibilities, another defeat could spell the end.

“For me, a loss at this stage of my career, it’s more or less done, it’s as simple as that,” the 31-year-old told the PA news agency.

“I have a goal and I’m going to keep that goal to myself with how many fights I’ve got left. I think I can achieve those goals. Back in the day I used to say ‘I’ll go until the wheels fall off’. That’s no longer an option. I’ve got a young family.

“We’ll see what happens. People keep telling me there’s plenty left in the tank but I’d like to get out on my own terms, not constantly chasing it.”

Warrington overcame Martinez by majority decision five years ago but, while the Spanish veteran’s best days seemed to be behind him – even at that stage – he sprung a major surprise last November.

Martinez (43-10-2, 30KOs) was outclassed early on against Kid Galahad but showed his devastating power remains in tact by stopping the Sheffield fighter in the sixth round to claim Warrington’s old crown.

“It’s funny how the sport works. He was done, wasn’t he?” Warrington said. “When I beat him, people thought he was past it. No-one expected him to go on and win a European title and a world title again.

“I have tonnes of respect for him. he never ducks a challenge and he always brings it all. He’s an honest fighter and you need people like that.

“I always knew that if I could beat a Kiko Martinez, I could go on and win a world title because he’d mixed it with some of the best.”

Another win over Martinez would bring world title unification contests to the fore and the WBA’s ‘regular’ champion Leigh Wood has been mooted, either at Leeds’ Elland Road or Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.

But Warrington believes he has cleaned up on the domestic front – having outpointed Lee Selby, Carl Frampton and Galahad on the global stage – and he retains a longing for a major bout in the United States.

Fighting in New York or Las Vegas against any of WBC champion Mark Magsayo, WBA ‘super’ titlist Leo Santa Cruz or WBO belt-holder Emanuel Navarrete top Warrington’s wish-list if he defeats Martinez.

“Growing up watching (Ricky) Hatton and (Joe) Calzaghe over there, that was glitz and glamour,” the Yorkshireman added ahead of his return bout against Martinez at Leeds’ First Direct Arena.

“Fighting in the United States is just something I want to do. I feel like I cemented these shores when I beat Frampton straight after Selby, then I beat Galahad (between May 2018 and June 2019).

“There is the likes of Leigh Wood but there’s some real big names still out there. The options are interesting.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp

**Master** · 03-24-2022 03:20 PM

Josh Warrington open to Leigh Wood fight in Nottingham

Josh Warrington says he would be happy to fight WBA champion Leigh Wood in Nottingham if he can regain his IBF featherweight crown on Saturday.

Leeds boxer Warrington will bid to become a two-time world champion at the First Direct Arena in his home city by beating Spain’s IBF title-holder Kiko Martinez.

Warrington, 31, is hoping to regain the same title he vacated 14 months ago, while Nottingham’s Wood successfully defended his WBA crown by spectacularly knocking out Michael Conlan earlier this month.

When asked if he would take on a possible unification fight against Wood on the champion’s home turf, Warrington said: “Most definitely.

“Listen, I’d love to go and boot the doors down at the City Ground and take the balmy Leeds lot with us and beat him in his backyard.

“But let’s concentrate on Saturday night and we’ll go from there.”

Martinez, 36, unexpectedly won the title with a sixth-round knockout of Sheffield’s former champion Kid Galahad in November last year.

Warrington wore a rubber skull-cap at a media workout at Leeds Kirkgate Market on Wednesday in a bid to have a joke at the bald Martinez’s expense.

The Yorkshireman said: “There’s no need to be bad-mouthing Kiko Martinez. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, as a lot of fighters do.

“But he did have a little pop at my bar-cut fringe. He said I looked like Jim Carey, so I thought I’d have a little go back at him.”

Warrington has already beaten Martinez, by a majority decision five years ago at the same Leeds arena on his way to his first world title.

‘The Leeds Warrior’ became IBF world champion with a split-decision victory over Lee Selby at Elland Road in 2018 and successfully defended his title on three occasions.

Listen, I'd love to go and boot the doors down at the City Ground and take the balmy Leeds lot with us and beat him in his backyard

Josh Warrington on fighting Leigh Wood
He vacated his belt in January last year and suffered his first career loss the following month in a non-title fight against Mauricio Lara after over a year of inactivity.

Warrington’s last appearance was in a rematch against Lara at Headingley Stadium in September, which ended in a technical draw after the Mexican was cut above his left eye in an accidental clash of heads.

“Without even realising it, subconsciously, I probably took my eye off the ball in the first Lara fight and in the second one I wanted to put it right,” Warrington added.

“I obviously didn’t get the opportunity, but I learned a lot in that second fight – I am at the level and would have gone on to beat him and I felt very confident after the first round of doing that.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp

**Master** · 03-26-2022 10:19 PM

Hate when there are 2 fights at the same time.

Hughes v Walsh fighting now, looks very competitive from the southpaws.

**Spicoli** · 03-26-2022 10:39 PM

Be rooting for the old man this one of course

. I like Warrington but let's be honest it should be Lara in there. But, so goes the money and promotion. Dalton Smith looked fairly sharp on the undercard. Came close to being DQ'd. Think the ref took 2 points because that may have been the most accurate and perfectly executed accidental left to the balls/left to the tip of chin he's ever witnessed.