Leigh Wood pulled more big drama this past Saturday, rallying from well down on the cards to stop Josh Warrington at the end of the seventh round, retaining his WBA featherweight title in Sheffield, England.
After the fight, Wood (28-3, 17 KO) said this would be his last bout at 126 lbs, and that he was looking to take a break and return next summer, after the Premier League season has ended, with a long-desired fight at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KO) said in-ring that he would like a rematch, and now, both sides seem very interested in just that, while expressing their respect for one another after the dust has settled.
“Respect. Josh showed why he still belongs at this level, and I’d happily give him another opportunity,” Wood said on social media.
“Things always get said in the heat of the moment, but I have nothing but respect for him as a fighter and a man.”
Wood then used the “#WoodWarrington2” hashtag.
“Credit to Leigh Wood on Saturday, took an opportunity when it presented itself,” Warrington wrote on his own social media. “Respectful build-up, a little more fiery on fight week, but as expected, shake hands after.
“Not a table thrown, nobody talked about each others mums, and we had a barnstormer. This is proper boxing, not a circus. Hopefully Leigh will honor the rematch at the City Ground in May.”
Warrington will turn 33 in November, while Wood just turned 35 back in August. Wood fought three times this year, staying very active, while Warrington was in the ring just the once, though he did fight in late 2022, so he’s been out two times in the past 10 months, really.
Neither would be waiting abnormally long for a fight in May or June of next year, really, and Eddie Hearn has said that Wood will finally get that City Ground bout. Warrington would be a good opponent, as the two just had a very entertaining fight, there’s some story there, and Warrington will still bring lots of fans from Leeds south to Nottingham.