Tag Archives: josh warrington

Posted on 09/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Josh Warrington promised revenge.

The former IBF featherweight titleholder, saw his reign come to an end roughly seventh months ago at the hands of Mauricio Lara. Despite being the heavy favorite in their first contest, Warrington had no answers on the night as he was dropped twice and ultimately stopped in the ninth round.

Since then, Warrington locked himself in the gym and vowed to become a better fighter. Not only did he pledge to improve but he also assured his fans that he would take back his world title. After sharing the ring with Lara once again, things didn’t exactly work out the way he was expecting.

As Warrington made his way through the crowd at Headingley Rugby League Stadium in Leeds UK, the crowd jumped to its feet. Warrington smiled as he patted onlookers with his gloves. Lara, a native of Mexico, seemingly had no issues with the boo’s that were hurled in his direction as he made his way to the ring. Motivated as ever to keep his world title and prove that their first contest was no fluke, Lara was unfazed by the fans of Warrington.

Never afraid of a dog fight, Warrington was far more cautious this time around. He kept his hands up high and waited for the perfect moment. That would come approximately one minute in as Warrington landed a strong right hand which pushed Lara into the ropes. As the 23-year-old attempted to land something of his own, Warrington rushed in and held Lara tightly.

It wasn’t the first time that Warrington engaged in early clench work, and each time, Lara motioned to the referee while tapping his head as if to say Warrington was head butting him.

Those warnings by Lara proved to be the story of how the fight would go.

Early in the second round, after Warrington landed a one-two combination, he once again went in for the clench. In doing so, he proved to be far too enthusiastic. Just before Warrington grabbed his man, he accidentally head-butted Lara. That in turn, led to an enormous gash. From there, the ringside doctor stepped onto the ring apron to take a long look at Lara. After a few seconds, he was deemed unable to continue and their contest was officially ruled a technical draw.

Following their short time in the ring, promoter Eddie Hearn appeared interested in locking the two in the ring again. As for an exact time frame, Lara vs. Warrington 3 will depend on how fast Lara is able to heal from his injury.

Posted on 02/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Josh Warrington was in search of big fights. So much so that instead of facing his mandatory in Kid Galahad, Warrington took his IBF world title and threw it directly in the trash.

Warrington figured he was better off without. All he needed to do was loosen up his joints against fringe contender Mauricio Lara before facing bigger names.

However, Lara had other ideas.

After getting noticeably buzzed in the early rounds, Lara shook off the shots of Warrington and found a bit of success as the fight progressed. Round four turned out to be the turning point of the fight as Lara dropped his man hard.

Warrington, to his credit, bounced back to his feet and convinced referee Howard Foster that he was alright. While he was convincing enough to continue, he was still visibly shook up.

Lara pressed forward in an attempt to close the show but found himself up against the clock as the seconds expired.

As Warrington sat in his corner to gather himself, he somehow got his second win. For much of the fight, his chin held up well as he took hard blows right on the button. Warrington though, landed a few of his own and seemed to gain the respect of his man in the process.

While most of the rounds were tit for tat, Lara was clearly gaining the edge. In the ninth, and ultimately final round, Lara floored Warrington yet again. This time around, the former world champion wasn’t given any time to clear his head as the referee waved off their contest, handing Warrington the first defeat of his career.

Posted on 06/10/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Shakur Stevenson told the press exactly what was going to happen in his matchup against Felix Caraballo. “I see a lot of holes in his game,” said Stevenson during a media call before his fight. “I’m going to expose him.”

Stevenson did just that. 

Forget about the phrase “throwing the kitchen sink,” Stevenson threw every piece of furniture that he has at Caraballo. And it worked. Stopping his man in the sixth round due to a body shot. 

Before Stevenson (14-0, 8 KOs) even stepped into the ring, a win was a formality. So now that he’s kept the COVID-19 inducing ring rust off, where does he go next? Keep reading to find out. 

Josh Warrington

For most of Josh Warrington’s (30-0, 7 KOs) career, it was his gritty style and never quit attitude that made him a fan favorite. He wasn’t the most talented fighter around, but he always found a way to win. Those sort of fighters always make for a good story, but seldom do they develop into one of the best fighters in the world. 

In the case of Warrington though, that is exactly what happened. His majority decision victory over Kiko Martinez in 2017 turned a few heads. But it was his wins over Lee Selby and Carl Frampton one year later, that made everyone take notice at what they were looking at. He is a bonafide great fighter and has the sort of will power that won’t allow him to quit.

The argument could be made that he is the best fighter in the Featherweight division. However, whenever the words “best fighter” is used and Shakur Stevenson’s name isn’t brought up, he’s going to take umbrage to it. 

The two have been in discussion to take each other’s 0 since early last year. Before Stevenson’s one sided beatdown of Caraballo, promoter Bob Arum mentioned that he will absolutely attempt to make their unification contest a reality. 

Gary Russell Jr

For as great as WBC Featherweight champion Gary Russel Jr. is, he has a tendency of staying out of the ring for long stretches. Reason being is no one wants to fight him. At least according to Russell (31-1, 18 KOs). For the past 6 years, Russell has competed inside of the ring just one time on average. It isn’t much, but when he does show up, he always leaves a lasting impression. 

The WBC belt holder hasn’t exactly heard his name mentioned by any of the other big name fighters. Call it a lack of interest, or a fear of losing, the point remains the same. Not many fighters are itching to face Russell. But Shakur Stevenson isn’t like many fighters.

“That would be a hell of fight, me and Gary,” said Stevenson before his fight with Caraballo.  “I really believe we are the two most skillful fighters in the division. That would be a hell of a fight.”

If boxing fans had their way, then this would be the matchup that happens next.