Note: this feature was originally published on February 3rd 2022.
For anyone walking through Leeds city centre last week, they may have heard the sound of someone banging a table. If they did, it wasn’t their mind playing tricks on them, it was the Leeds Warrior Josh Warrington (30-1-1) making the noise and chanting the name of the IBF world featherweight champion Kiko Martinez (43-10-2).
The pair met face-to-face for the first time at a press conference since their rematch on March 26th was announced by Matchroom as the final part of DAZN’s stacked first quarter schedule.
This was a fight which came out of the blue for British fans. Martinez produced one of the upsets of 2021 after his sixth round knockout win against Kid Galahad to claim the IBF belt and it’s alleged that the Spaniard was calling out Warrington as soon as he was back inside the dressing rooms in Sheffield.
Martinez faced Warrington at the First Direct Arena five years ago in what turned out to be a forgettable contest. Warrington triumphed on points, but it seems like Martinez has never been able to come to terms with what happened on the night.
“I guess I must be, it’s funny because he was going to be a sparring partner last year before the Mauricio Lara fight. We were going to pay for him to come over,” Warrington told DAZN News when asked about whether he is already inside Martinez’s head.
“After the fight I heard he was saying my name in the changing rooms, he’s desperate for the fight so that’s something he wants to put to bed, now he’s got an opportunity to do it.
“He ain’t knocking me out, simple as that.
“I got knocked out against Mauricio Lara, but I took five rounds of clean shots before I got knocked out.
“Kiko can bang, but he’s not doing a one-punch knockout to me like he did against Kid Galahad.”
2021 was a year of frustration for Warrington. He was set for a huge featherweight showdown with then WBA champion Xu Can last Summer, but a whole myriad of issues stopped the Leeds man’s date with destiny becoming a reality.
First came the decision to relinquish his IBF featherweight title after the governing body failed to approve the request for a unification and instead insisted that Warrington face mandatory challenger Kid Galahad for a second time.
Then came the first fight with Mexico’s Mauricio Lara last February. After a year of inactivity due to COVID-19, Warrington was hoping Lara would be a simple tune-up fight before a clash with Xu Can outdoors the following Summer. Instead, Warrington was battered from pillar to post by Lara before referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the contest in the ninth round at Wembley Arena.
Returning home to Yorkshire the following morning, it was back to the drawing board for Warrington who had suffered the first professional loss of his career.
With no world title opportunity on the horizon, the only option for Warrington was to face Lara for a second time in a quest for redemption, but this time he would be backed by his loyal arm of fans at Headingley’s rugby league stadium in Leeds.
The date was set, 4th September 2021, this would hopefully be the night Warrington re-asserted himself onto the world stage. But once again it was a false start in what was one of the first British boxing shows to host a capacity crowd. During a pulsating opening two rounds, a clash of heads between the combatants resulted in the Mexican suffering a deep cut, this forced the bout to be ruled a no contest.
When reflecting on the past year with DAZN News, the 31-year-old believed he was just about to hit his stride in his second fight with Lara, and while it was a frustrating 2021, Warrington is ready to do whatever it takes to become a two-time world champion.
“Yeah, the Lara fight, the first one, was bad, getting knocked out, the second one I think I was warming into it; we had an idea about what we wanted to do,” Warrington said.
“There’s gameplans in boxing, like for instance when I boxed Carl Frampton, I had to start really fast so the first two rounds were really exciting.
“These two were just about finding myself in the first few rounds mentally and show a bit of boxing skill, I did that, I thought the gameplan was going to come off lovely, but I never got the opportunity to do so, so frustrating yeah, but what an opportunity I’ve got now to become a two-time world champion.”
When it comes to whether Martinez would change his strategy after seeing Warrington get stopped in the first Lara fight, the Leeds Warrior made it clear he will focus on his own gameplan and adapt to whatever is thrown at him next month.
“I don’t think he’s going to turn up March 26th and start dancing round the ring with his hands down,” Warrington claimed.
“What he brings is ferocious pace, he’s energetic and he throws lots of punches. I guarantee he’ll do the same and he probably thinks he can knock me out as well.
“He’s seen me be put on the canvas so he probably thinks I’m susceptible, but we’ll be ready for whatever he brings.”
If Warrington does indeed triumph at the end of March to become a two-time world champion, he is keeping his options open as to what would come next.
“Whatever opportunity presents itself,” Warrington responded when asked about his future in the professional ranks.
“I’d love to tick that box for a unification, then I can just bow out and fight Lara, finish that and ride off into the sunset.”
Will Josh Warrington and his dedicated army of supporters march on together towards another world title, or will Kiko Martinez silence Yorkshire for a second time in four months?
Judging by both men’s demeanour at the launch press conference, they will be looking to right the wrongs of their first encounter and make the rematch on March 26th a fight to remember.