When Josh Warrington stepped into the ring to face IBF featherweight champion Kiko Martinez, there wasn’t just his career as a professional boxer on the line, but Britain’s place as the dominant force in the featherweight division.
Ever since Leigh Wood beat Xu Can at Fight Camp last summer to claim the WBA ‘regular’ title, the future looked bright for Britain’s featherweight division.
Despite a loss and a draw to Mauricio Lara last year, Warrington was someone whose stock was still high. His loyal and passionate fanbase means any venue where he fights will be an instant sell-out, and it was no different at the First Direct Arena this past weekend.
When ‘Marching on Together’, the anthem of Leeds United Football Club, was belted out by a 13,000 strong crowd, it offered a glimpse into what could be one of the sporting events of the summer.
Just two weeks before Martinez vs. Warrington 2, Leigh Wood faced Michael Conlan in what is now a candidate for Fight of the Year. A capacity crowd at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena witnessed Wood produce a stunning final round knockout after being knocked down in the first and comfortably behind on all three judges’ scorecards.
After confirming Conlan was in a stable condition after falling through the ropes onto those sitting ringside following Wood’s right hand, questions were being asked as to who Wood would face next.
The venue has already been set, the City Ground, home of Wood’s beloved Nottingham Forest, but all he needs now is a dance partner.
In the immediate aftermath of Wood vs. Conlan, a rematch was mentioned, but that will all hinge on how long it will take Conlan to recover from such a devastating punch. Then came the realisation that Josh Warrington was fighting just two weeks later for the IBF world featherweight title, a belt he was once held before vacating at the start of 2021 in the pursuit of bigger fights.
An all-British featherweight dust-up between two fighters who don’t mind having a brawl at one of English football’s most scenic grounds in the summer, it was the stuff of dreams for British fight fans, but it all hinged on Warrington getting the victory.
Warrington delivered, an early knockdown in the first and a stoppage in round seven saw him capture the IBF strap and a clash with Wood at the City Ground next seemed all but certain.
Then came the news that The Leeds Warrior had broken his jaw and hand, meaning the much-desired unification fight with Wood maybe a fair few months away and puts a Conlan rematch back on the table.
Whatever comes next between Britain’s featherweight powerhouses, it will be a huge occasion not just for British, but world boxing.
When casting an eye back over the lists of past world featherweight champions, there are a sprinkling of Union Jack flags, but it’s mostly the United States, Mexico and numerous South American countries which have enjoyed success at 126lbs. Now that stadium fights are being mentioned between British fighters for featherweight world titles, it looks like Britain has taken over as the centre of featherweight boxing.
Whoever Wood welcomes to the banks of the River Trent, it will be an occasion to remember. If it’s Conlan, the atmosphere will be akin to what transpired a few weeks ago, just on a bigger scale. Wood and his Nottingham Forest fanbase on one side of the stadium and the travelling Irish on the other. The noise will be something else, turning the City Ground into a coliseum where two foes renew hostilities after a brutal war the first time round.
Wood vs. Warrington would generate a similar atmosphere. Two fighters with avid football followings going head-to-head (Woods representing Forest and Warrington Leeds United), the noise would be something normally seen at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. The Leeds fans would fully get on board with a prospect of an ‘away day’ to the East Midlands. They would travel in their thousands and takeover the city, then come the opening bell become absorbed in the battle happening on the City Ground pitch, but this time instead of 22 players, it will be two men putting their careers on the line and looking to further cement their legacies at 126lbs.
There are two other world champions at featherweight, Emmanuel Navarrete who holds the WBO belt and Mark Magsayo who recently beat Gary Russell Jr to claim the WBC title. While these two present lucrative opportunities to fight in America, something which has been much desired by Josh Warrington, time is not ticking with both Navarrate and Magsayo still having a few years left in their careers.
British boxing is in a healthy state right now despite last month’s scoring controversy between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall. With shows taking place weekly, sometimes multiple shows on the same day, fans in this country are spoiled when it comes to the sweet science.
Britain may already have a deep pool of talent when it comes to some weight classes such as heavyweight and light heavyweight, but now the featherweights want to become a part of this successful era for British boxing and already the 126lb division is making itself heard and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.