JOSH WARRINGTON returned from the longest break of his career on Saturday night as he bid to continue his journey back into the featherweight rankings. The 32-year-old hasn’t been seen since he beat Kiko Martinez nine months ago in a match that not only won the IBF belt but also suffered a severe jaw fracture.
It’s been an injury that has kept him out of action for the past nine months but he returned to action this weekend with what looked like a stern test against 26-year-old Mexican Luis Alberto Lopez -2.
Warrington flew two years ago, and as the 30-0 belt holder, looks like he’s about to enter the Las Vegas super fight he’s been craving. However, that all came crashing down when he was stunned by Mauricio Lara last February and he was then unable to exorcise any demons as their rematch ended in the second half after a accidental head-on.
He got up and running in the match against Martinez, which he finished in seven innings, but a jaw injury caused him to lose momentum. Lopez may just feel an opportunity.
Warrington, currently number seven in the world, knows the importance of momentum so Saturday night headed for an injury-free victory to set up an epic 2023.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time so it definitely affects momentum,” he said. “When you fight at close range, you have your camp, your battle and then take a couple of weeks off but then you go right back to the gym. Tick, sparring.
“After the Martinez game, I was suspended from all activities for 12 weeks, I broke a ligament in my hand and obviously broke my jaw so starting again after three months of doing nothing is quite uncomfortable.
“I hope to get through this unscathed, just win, never mind how it comes, and get the momentum back. It’s a powerful tool when you’re on the go. It takes you to the next level.”
There will be easier options for Warrington than Lopez, 29, a healthy boxer with nothing to lose. The last time he was in England, he knocked and stopped Isaac Lowe for seven hours at York Hall 12 months ago. He has won two more knockouts this year so will go to Leeds full of confidence. But given what happened to Lara that night at Wembley, it’s unlikely Warrington would take another Mexican loser lightly.
It will be interesting to see if his recovery from a broken jaw affects the way he plays, although he insists that everything is fine in preparation. “Absolutely fine, man,” he said. “Maybe it’s an homage because I like getting punched in the head.”
Giving nothing away in the first half of the fight, though, should be the order of the day before he tries to push through the gears against a man who has never gone past 10 innings. The Leeds Warriors should have more than enough to come to a unanimous decision.
That match topped an 11-match bill at the Leeds Arena that will clash with England’s World Cup quarter-final against France. However, common sense prevailed; Attendees will watch the match on the big screen as the card – then kicks off as early as 1:30 p.m. – pauses the action to accommodate the 7 p.m. kick-off.
In main support, the city-adopted Australian Ebanie bridges face fellow countryman Shannon O’Connell.
Bridges, 8-1(3), is the house fighter and big name but at 23-6-1, O’Connell is the much more seasoned player in the match and there’s conflict between them. . This could turn out to be another classic women’s story, and O’Connell’s experience might be enough to help her make a decision.
Bridges’ old rival Shannon Courtenay also returned to action for the first time in more than a year when she faced eight-year-old Bournemouth’s Gemma Ruegg. Courtenay’s last appearance was in October last year when she voted in favor of Jamie “The Miracle” Mitchell in Liverpool, one of her only two games in the past two years. The win will likely give the Bridges-O’Connell winner a chance.
Hopey Price also took a step forward when he took on Warrington’s old rival Sofiane Takoucht over eight years old in the super bantamweight division. The Frenchman 36-5-1 is by far the biggest rival of Price’s career 8-0 but he should win by points.
Felix Cash looks set for a big 2023 and he will be looking to shake off the rust after a 10-month hiatus in an eight-round middleweight bout against an unnamed opponent. Meanwhile, light-weight JJ Metcalf will start the main broadcast in what looks like a potential cracker against Courtney Pennington of New York.
Liverpool’s Metcalf, son of Shea Nery, is rarely into a bad game and will be brimming with confidence after he travels to Bilbao and beat Kerman Lejarraga in the final game in May. He lost to both Ted Cheeseman and Kieron Conway in 2021 but is back this year and a win over Penington will end things for good.
Before that, there were six battles in DAZN’s ‘Before the Bell’ part of their broadcast. In their pick, Gateshead’s Calum French and Yorkshireman’s Kurt Jackson, both 3-0 up, face more than eight men. It’s not always that two invincible prospects get into a fight so soon so both deserve credit here. Both have yet to face an opponent with a winning record.
There was also a six-round bout for Rotherham’s light middleweight Junaid Bostan. There’s a lot to like about the 20-year-old and he looks like a potential star. It’s his third match in four months since signing up with Matchroom and he’ll have a tough time against Slovenia’s Aljaz Venko.
Invincible men’s Rhiannon Dixon hopes to continue his progress serenely as he faces Exeter’s Kristine Shergold in his first eight-round bout at lightweight. Before that, a trio of local invincible prospects were also in the works. Heckmondwike’s Cory O’Regan, who is leading 8-0, faces six-year-old Seaham’s Jordan Ellison at lightweight while Leeds duo Mali Wright and Koby McNamara play four innings. McNamara, 3-0, against Nabil Ahmed while Wright 2-0-1 (1), unopposed at the time of writing.
VERIFY: The organizers’ ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ attitude towards France vs England at the World Cup is a wise one.
