Leeds fighter Josh Warrington took on Leigh Wood in an eagerly-awaited rematch on Saturday night.
Leeds warrior Josh Warrington has made an honest admission about his future with a classy and emotional message to his fans after Saturday night’s second defeat to old rival Leigh Wood.
Warrington and Wood locked horns for a second time in an eagerly-awaited rematch in Nottingham on Saturday evening, nearly two and a half years after Wood’s dramatic victory against the Leeds fighter in Sheffield back in October 2023.
Wood’s victory subjected Warrington to just a third defeat of his career and a fourth eventually followed in September of the following year against Belfast fighter Anthony Cacace in an IBO world super featherweight title shot at Wembley Stadium.
The defeat - by unanimous decision - had Warrington contemplating retirement, the Leeds star admitting he had actually retired for three weeks but without an official announcement.
Warrington, though, ultimately returned to the ring to beat Asad Asif Khan the following April and had declared himself in fantastic shape for Saturday’s big rematch against his old rival.
The city’s former double world champion certainly looked the part but Wood ultimately dominated and sealed a unanimous decision victory on points of 117-111, 119-110 and 119-109.
Speaking in the ring post match, Warrington declared that something “felt off” with his boxing and the 35-year-old admitted he would now have plenty of thinking to do regarding his future.
The classy fighter also paid tribute to Wood but finished his message with an emotional message of thanks to his fans including his Leeds United following who boomed out a loud Marching On Together as he spoke.
“There was just something off”
Asked how the emotions compared to his defeat to Wood in 2023, Warrington said "It's the same again. I've come into this fight, we are the fittest, the strongest, the last fight at Wembley was like my first rodeo at super featherweight and I felt a little bit out of my depth but I still like I could compete with Cacace.
"But there was just something off and tonight I came in here even fitter, even stronger, the sparring had been unbelievable.
"I could see bits and bats what Leigh had been doing but I just couldn't capitalise on it.
"I feel like compared to a couple of years ago I was probably a little bit more apprehensive but my reactions were a lot better and tonight I was just of the pace."
Amid chants of his name from the travelling support in Nottingham, quizzed on what was next for him, Warrington admitted: "Look at that, before tonight I'd been beaten four times and they have backed me through thick and thin.
"They are the best supporters in the world and they travel and follow their own through thick and thin.
"I'm not going to make a decision, first and foremost I've only been down here a week but I miss my kids immensely, I want to go home and see my little boy and my twin daughters but I am not going to make any rash decisions.
"With that being said, I can't keep on coming out here and people are spending their hard money and I am not giving absolutely everything.
"Whatever happens, we achieved world title glory, twice”
"I try my best, I try my very best and I wanted to so bad, I have bene obsessed with Leigh for the last 14 weeks.
"I have trained immensely, I have worked my socks off in the gym and with sparring and I couldn't do any more.
"But towards this week my head has been a bit all over the place and coming into tonight I was just thinking about it a little bit too much and in the sport of boxing you certainly can't be doing that against people like Leigh Wood.
"Can I just say before I go, it takes two to tango, obviously Leigh has got a fantastic fanbase, I have got the very best fanbase in the world.
"Guys, I didn't want to walk out of Wembley without at least saying thank you to you.
"Whatever happens, we achieved world title glory, twice, and do you know what, thank you."
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