Not for the first time in his career, WBA featherweight world champion Leigh Wood recovered from some dangerous moments – down on the scorecards and firmly outboxed – as he scored a seventh-round knockout win over two-time world titlist Josh Warrington without warning in main event at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena tonight, a contentious ending to a dramatic domestic duel.
Wood’s City Ground fairytale remains alive after comeback
- Wood in his post-fight interview: “Josh is a great fighter, I knew the longer it went on the more he would fade and get reckless. I got disorientated early but as soon as I stuck to the gameplan, the opportunities came straight away. I’m one fight away, will get my fairytale ending.”
- 35-year-old wants a few holidays after three fights in eight months, will wait until the end of the 2023-24 Premier League season before revisiting City Ground dream at Nottingham Forest’s football stadium
- Warrington: “I switched off for a split second, Leigh’s tactics stopped me from working on the inside – caught me with a good shot but I was listening to the count, turned around at eight and he [the ref] was waving his arms. Very disappointed, two losses on the bounce – don’t feel it did me justice.”
- Two-time world champion hoping for rematch next summer, but equally unsure about what’s next after winning just one of his last five fights while Eddie Hearn confirms Wood will not box at 126lb weight limit again
IBF world flyweight champion Sunny Edwards felt aggrieved at the contentious finish, and made sure you knew about it if watching DAZN’s post-fight broadcast.
“He’s a two-time world champion, maybe this is his last hurrah, he’s in his corner… let them make that decision!”
Now retired former world champions Tony Bellew and Carl Froch tried arguing the other side and played devil’s advocate well, in response. Outpunched in every round, supposedly feeling sorry for himself and yet Wood produced a get-out-of-jail-free card deep into round seven of a fight he was clearly losing with a vicious combo.
Even with Warrington being harshly docked a point earlier in the decisive round for rabbit punching behind the head, no-one saw a sharp turnaround coming.
You’d be right in thinking the manner of such a sudden stoppage will have divided opinion across the country regardless of which side you leaned towards.
That added intrigue and storyline serves as a perfect segue for a rematch next year, this time on Leigh Wood’s hallowed Nottingham turf, against a younger and more championship tested compatriot in a weight division without caveats attached.
No struggling to cut, or drained issues at 130lbs rather than the featherweight limit both have pushed their bodies to make for over a decade now.
As far as world titles are concerned, a domestic duel with IBF super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina – as the titlist said himself last month – is always there.
“Boxing is thrilling, the toughest sport of them all. Leigh dominated the first two, Warrington was sensational – I actually said to Bellew, I think Leigh is done, the weight is hurting him… this man is unbelievable.
What he’s done in the featherweight division just shows you, if you stick at it, anything can happen. For years he’s plagued me for a fight at the City Ground, it’s on the club [Nottingham Forest] aswell, they want to do it – next summer, he must get his chance.
- Promoter Eddie Hearn, who represents both boxers, said this afterwards
Wood, who avenged a stunning seventh-round knockout defeat of his own against Mauricio Lara just three months later, now finds himself thriving in the twilight of his career. If only the UK had more active world champions to truly appreciate, ey?
Picture source: Getty Images
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