Leigh Wood outboxes Josh Warrington over twelve rounds in Nottingham

Southpaw stance and counters secure wide decision

Leigh Wood outpoints Josh Warrington over 12 rounds at the Motorpoint Arena, earning scores of 119-109, 119-110 and 117-111. By switching to southpaw and boxing off the back foot, Wood dictated range and kept Warrington reaching.

Wood set the tone early by coming out as a left-hander. The stance change forced Warrington to reset his feet and rethink his strategy. Wood started with the jab from the right hand lead, stepped across the line, and lined up the straight left as Warrington tried to close distance.

Warrington pressed behind a high guard, attempting to crowd and work inside. Wood did not allow it. He pivoted off the ropes, turned him in the center of the ring, and caught him with counters as he came forward. By the middle rounds, Warrington was following and getting picked off.

In the second, Warrington found a straight right that opened a cut on Wood’s nose. It was one of his clearer shots. Wood responded by tightening his defense, keeping his lead foot outside, and firing back with short counters before sliding out of range.

The fourth highlighted the control Wood had established. He stepped in and snapped a left uppercut from the southpaw stance that checked Warrington’s advance. From there, he mixed the jab to the body with straight lefts upstairs, resetting his feet after each combination.

Warrington kept trying to force exchanges. When he got inside, Wood met him with short hooks and tied him up before pivoting away. The former champion could not sustain pressure long enough to turn the fight.

By the late rounds, Wood’s nose was bloodied and swelling showed around one eye, though his workrate and balance never dipped. He stayed disciplined, kept the fight at his range, and finished exchanges on his terms.

There were no knockdowns. Wood did not chase a stoppage. He boxed with control, used angles, and forced Warrington to reach. The adjustment to southpaw and the consistent countering won him rounds clearly.

Wood moves to 29-4 with 17 knockouts. Warrington falls to 32-5-1. The rematch lacked the drama of their first meeting. This time, Wood relied on angles, timing, and counterpunching to secure rounds clearly.