Sometimes an immediate rematch isn’t too smart a move for a beaten fighter to take. Josh Warrington, though, is desperate to get back in the ring with the man who sensationally upset him to take his unbeaten record on February 14. Warrington has told BBC Sport that if he cannot beat Mauricio Lara, he will “call it a day, simple as that.” As fans know, the Leeds warrior was badly hurt in the fourth round of his battle with the 30:1 outsider, with Warrington then being quite brutally knocked out in the ninth round. The 30-year-old has since said that he took the fight too lightly and that he wasn’t his usual self.
Warrington now says that “there’s no point in hanging about if I can’t mix it with this guy.” There is talk of a Lara-Warrington II taking place in either August or September, with a live crowd in attendance. The revenge fight is all Warrington can think about.
“For my own mental self I don’t think I would be able to settle if other people go in there and blast this guy out,” Warrington said. “I need to know I can get over this hurdle. Whether it be 12 rounds of being dominant or me knocking him out. I need to do it for myself. I I can’t then I’m calling it a day, simple as that. When I walk in the arena normally, the heat and adrenaline hits you. I was stood on the stage and it was like I was too relaxed, like it was a sparring session with a novice. I was winking at Lara and stuff. I’ve never had that mindset.”
Warrington, 30-1(7) took the loss so hard so badly, he says he didn’t want to leave his house for days after being stopped by the 22-year-old Mexican. So Warrington has made up his mind: he simply has to take the rematch so as to be able to live with himself. You have to give Warrington credit for wanting to get right back in there with a man who pretty much beat him up. But again, often an immediate rematch is not the best move. We’ve seen plenty of good fighters get beaten by a guy, go right back in with him, and lose again. It would be a real shame if Warrington did lose to Lara a second time and then, just like that, his thrilling career was over. It doesn’t seem too long ago at all when Warrington was looking like an all-conquering featherweight. How things can change with just one fight.
Lara, 22-2(15) says he respects Warrington and there is no bad blood here. The return fight should prove extremely interesting. How good is Lara? Did Lara get lucky, or can he prove otherwise with a repeat win over Warrington? Repeat or Revenge? What do you guys think? One thing is certain, the rematch will be a far, far bigger fight than the first fight between these two. And you can bet your bottom dollar Warrington will be training like a demon for the rematch. So too will Lara.