Two-time featherweight champion Josh Warrington has been the fighting pride of Leeds for around a decade now, but it seemed as though his career had come to an end after a recent defeat at Wembley Stadium. However, at 34-years-old, Warrington has decided that he still has enough remaining in the tank to continue to compete.
Fighting regularly at the First Direct Arena in his hometown, Warrington took the traditional domestic route to superstardom by defeating Martin Lindsay and Davide Dieli for the respective British and European featherweight titles back in 2014.
After maintaining his undefeated record and rising up the world rankings, ‘The Leeds Warrior’ secured a dream world title shot with a showdown against Wales’ IBF champion Lee Selby at Elland Road- home of Warrington’s beloved Leeds United F.C.
In front of around 25,000, Warrington and Selby went to war in a 126lb classic with the home fighter coming out on top, before following up that performance with impressive title defences against Carl Frampton, Kid Galahad and Sofiane Takoucht.
What a performance. What a fight 👏
Josh Warrington v Lee Selby has been named IBF Fight of the Year for 2018 🏆
Here are the highlights from an incredible night at Elland Road… pic.twitter.com/3UvbsjngS6
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 8, 2019
Yet, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Warrington would fall victim to one of the upsets of the century when he was brutally knocked out by Mauricio Lara in a non-title bout, although the Yorkshireman would vacate his IBF strap soon after.
Huge KO 🥊
Josh Warrington is stunned by Mauricio Lara at Wembley Arena
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) February 13, 2021
Their rematch was cut short by a head clash, but Warrington was able to regain his IBF title with a stoppage win in a rematch against Spain’s Kiko Martinez in 2022, before losing the belt to Luis Alberto Lopez nine months later.
Since then, Warrington has twice challenged for world honours and been unsuccessful each time, losing to Leigh Wood for the WBA featherweight title and Anthony Cacace for the IBO super-featherweight trinket, leaving his gloves in the ring under the Wembley arch after the latter to insinuate that this would be his final appearance.
Although, in an interview with DAZN, Warrington displayed the same grit outside of the ring that he notoriously showed inside of it, refusing to call it a day despite one win in his last six contests.
“I laid my gloves down in the ring, [but] it felt like a rash decision. One of my friends, [kickboxer] Liam Harrison did something similar.
“I thought, with my frustrations that I couldn’t get going [in the fight] that maybe it’s not there. I’m always critical. I can be winning a fight and think I’m not doing good enough.
“After analysing it, and watching back with my team, I still think there’s enough there to compete at the highest level, and to win as well. Physically, I feel good.
“I do feel that if my mental side had been good [against Cacace], it might have been a different outcome. I can’t complain about it, because what has happened has happened.
“I believe if it’s gone physically, it’s gone. You can’t get that back. But the mental side can be changed. I’ve pinpointed the reasons why I wouldn’t let the shots fall as I usually do.”
It is assumed that Warrington will return in the super-featherweight division after difficulties making the featherweight limit in the past, as he prepares for a possible long-craved U.S. debut or a last dance in front of his Leeds faithful.
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