IBF featherweight champion, Josh Warrington, believes that DAZN ‘threw him under the bus’ with the coverage that they showed following his second fight with Mauricio Lara.
After being brutally knocked out in their first fight, many boxing fans had the relatively unknown Mexican down as ‘The Leeds Warrior’s’ boogeyman ahead of the rematch. However, after just two rounds, the fight was cut short, following a nasty head clash.
The 32-year-old told Boxing Social, that DAZN, who he is still under contract with, appeared to instigate a narrative where Warrington was thankful for a lucky escape, rather than being frustrated at being unable to get revenge over ‘Bronco’ Lara.
“DAZN, same f***ing promotional outfit and that but they threw me under the bus.
The behind-the-scenes stuff, they painted a picture as though I’m grateful to get out of the ring and that I’m still alive. I’m cheering to all my fans and that, when I’m f***ing devastated, I’m close to tears.
It’s all like ‘I’ve made it, I’m back, I didn’t die!’, Mauricio’s devastated that he couldn’t kill me, that’s how they painted it.
If you were watching that and you didn’t know what the f**k went on, you’d be like ‘aw poor Lara, he didn’t get the chance to kill that Warrington’.”
Despite being aggravated by the DAZN coverage, Warrington is still happy to box on their platform.
Since the short-lived rematch with Lara, he has won back his IBF world title by defeating Kiko Martinez at the First Direct Arena back in March and fights on the streaming broadcaster once more next month.
Warrington fights another Mexican puncher on December 10th, in the form of Luis Alberto Lopez, who has seven knockouts in his last nine fights.
If Warrington gets past this test, there are two fights that the public will call for, either a third fight with Lara or a world title unification against fellow Brit Leigh Wood.