By Jeff Moore: In the main event, featherweight contender Josh Warrington (24-0, 5 KOs) defeated Patrick Hyland (31-3, 15 KOs) by a 9th round knockout on Saturday night at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, UK. Warrington put Hyland down three times in the fight with an accumulation of head blows.
Steve Wood, head of VIP Promotions and manager of WBC International featherweight champion Josh Warrington, has responded to recent claims made by boxer Lee Selby.
Selby, the IBF World featherweight champion, and his team issued a press release this week claiming Warrington was ‘running scared’ and had pulled out of a scheduled summer showdown. Wood, however, has refuted those accusations and insists the Welsh fighter has resorted to desperate measures to try to land himself a payday. “To be honest, we’re all a bit embarrassed by the actions of Lee and his team in putting out that press release. On the contrary, Josh Warrington would like to assure Lee that he isn’t unwanted; as it appears he is by the American promoter [Al Haymon] he ran to after leaving Matchroom.
Like he showed tonight, Brunker was no match for Hearn’s fighter Warrington. In a recent fight in which Brunker was badly beaten by one of Hearn’s fighters, he was stomped by Lee Selby last October in losing by a 9th round stoppage. All three judges scored the fight 120-108.
Britain’s insanely popular featherweight contender Josh Warrington (21-0, 4ko) goes to battle in Leeds tonight in a defence of the Commonwealth title, against Australia’s Joel Brunker, in what will represent the toughest test of the Yorkshireman’s career to date.
The relatively intriguing headline fight at the First Direct Arena, is carrying an otherwise average-at-best card, and Warrington will need to be at his very best if he is to prevail against the dangerous former Olympian, whose sole blemish is a stoppage loss to current IBF 126lb champion, Lee Selby, 10 months ago.
If he comes through his September 5th Commonwealth title fight with Australia’s Joel Brunker (28-1, 16ko) in Leeds, then unbeaten featherweight Josh Warrington (21-0, 4ko) is eyeing a potential world title clash with new IBF champion Lee Selby in the none too distant future.
While it’s no foregone conclusion that the fanatically supported Yorkshireman will beat Brunker – whose sole blemish came against Selby last October – Warrington is confident he can indeed do the business and disagrees with Selby’s assertion that Brunker will beat him next month.
IBF 126 lb champion Lee Selby sits among a crowded featherweight crop on the world scene that includes the likes of Ukrainian amateur standout Vasyl Lomachenko, American Gary Russell Jnr and, as long as he can still make the weight, Jamaica’s Nicholas Walters.
While the unassuming Welshman has no doubts about deserving his own place in the division among those names, he has no such confidence in domestic rival Josh Warrington’s chances of achieving such lofty heights.
Matchroom Sport will make their return to Leeds on September 5th, when hometown favourite Josh Warrington takes on Australia’s Joel Brunker in what represents a stern test for the British 126 lb #2 as he defends his Commonwealth title from the First Direct Arena live on Sky Sports.
It certainly will be a good fight for comparative purposes as to how far behind Warrington is in relation to new IBF 126 lb champion Lee Selby, who boxed and outclassed Brunker himself in October of last year, securing a 9th round stoppage – although the tough and experienced Aussie gave the Welshman a little trouble early on depsite the Welshman rarely getting out of first gear.
Josh Warrington claimed the vacant WBC international featherweight title this evening with a 12 round unanimous decision victory over the teak tough Filipino Dennis Tubieron.
The local hero – now mandatory challenger to Gary Russell Jnr’s WBC featherweight world championship – was greeted in the customary raucous fashion held on reserve for him at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, which resembled more of summer rock festival than a championship boxing show.
Such an atmosphere can’t help but transfer to target of its affection and Warrington looked ready to explode as he soaked up every ounce of it pacing around his corner, in which he was oddly accompanied by ex-footballer and actor Vinnie Jones.