On Saturday evening at Elland Road – the famous home of Leeds United – Welshman Lee Selby defends his IBF featherweight championship against undefeated local challenger Josh Warrington.
Warrington, an immensely popular local contender who is accompanied by legions of vociferous supporters virtually wherever he fights, will therefore be challenging for his first World title at the stadium of his beloved football club.
Elland Road is widely considered one of the most intimidating grounds in the country for visiting away teams, let alone individual fighters.
After a fiery final press conference at Elland Road, @J_Warrington's father and trainer Sean O'Hagan had these words of respect for the champion…
??????#Boxing #SelbyWarrington pic.twitter.com/RLM2erK2sG
— Boxing Social (@boxing_social) May 17, 2018
Nevertheless, the Barry born-and-bred defending champion remains supremely confident that the hostile welcome he is almost guaranteed to receive from the Leeds faithful this Saturday night will not adversely affect his performance in the ring.
The unflappable Welshman is a consummate professional; not to mention a flashy operator who has caught the eye of Al Haymon and American audiences in recent years, having initially captured his IBF title three years ago with a technical decision victory over Russian Evgeny Gradovich.
Meanwhile, Leeds native Warrington – a qualified dental technician – has a decidedly less surgical approach inside the ring than his Welsh counterpart, but certainly compensates for this with abundant reserves of tenacity and athleticism.
Indeed, Warrington’s relentlessness and speed, among other attributes, have enabled him to rack up twenty six straight victories against respectable levels of continental opposition, including Samir Mouienene, Dennis Ceylan, and Kiko Martinez.
Selby is largely expected to prevail comfortably over Warrington, and is a clear favourite according to bookmakers and popular opinion.
However, Warrington will undoubtedly be looking to embody the notion of ‘dirty Leeds’ by continually disrupting Selby’s rhythm and superior poise with sheer volume and activity, in order to win rounds largely characterised by hitting and holding.
It is safe to expect a very messy and unsightly affair, where – buoyed on by his boisterous and unswervingly loyal followers; and further assisted by lenient refereeing and favourable scorecards – Josh Warrington might just become Leeds’ first ever World champion.
