Two-time WBA featherweight champ Leigh Wood scored a pretty sensational, pretty much out of the blue, 7th round stoppage win over Josh Warrington back in October. The win saw Nottingham’s Woods register the first successful defence of his second reign as WBA champ. Now, it seems Wood and Warrington are on course for a return fight, with a date of May 18th put forward by promoter Eddie Hearn.
Wood, 28-3(17) vacated the WBA featherweight title in October, so the rematch would be a non-title affair, up at 130 pounds. But as a big domestic showdown that will no doubt sell out a stadium, the proposed rematch is big, belt or no belt. Warrington, 31-3-1(8) who was angered by the stoppage in October, ahead as he was on all three cards at the time, has wanted a rematch ever since. Now, it seems the former two-time IBF featherweight champ will get what he wants in May, with the fight likely to take place at Nottingham Forrest football stadium; this of course something Wood very much wants.
“May 18th is the proposed date,” Hearn said of Wood-Warrington II when a guest on The MMA Hour. “We’re in talks with the club, they’ve got a big concert on the week after, so it’s just about getting the logistics right. Not to put too much pressure on Nottingham Forrest, but it’s in the hands of the club. We’ve got a fight ready to go I believe on May 18th with Wood versus Warrington 2.”
So, who wins if/when this rematch happens? Wood, one of the UK’s most exciting lower weight fighters, was being outboxed before he turned things around with a right hook to “Leeds Warrior” Warrington’s jaw, his follow-up shots sending Warrington down. Warrington feels he simply got caught as he made a mistake and that this will not happen again. Wood is the puncher of the two, Warrington the better boxer.
Can Warrington avoid Wood’s power shots for all 12 rounds, or will Wood again land something big? What do you like – repeat or revenge on May 18th? It goes without saying how neither man can afford another defeat at this stage in their respective careers.
