Leigh Wood vows quicker finish in Josh Warrington rematch

Leigh Wood has set a higher expectation for himself ahead of his rematch with Josh Warrington, saying he intends to end the fight faster rather than repeat the late turnaround that decided their first meeting. Speaking at Friday’s weigh-in press conference in Nottingham, Wood made clear he is approaching the rematch with the belief that he can impose control earlier.

“I’ll be doing it quicker,” Wood said. “That’s the main and important thing. I’ve got to win – and I’ve got to win quicker. If he comes out quick and comes for me, it is going to end very, very quick. I promise you that.”

Wood stopped Warrington in the seventh round of their first fight in October 2023, but he had to come through difficult early rounds before turning it around. By predicting a quicker ending this time, Wood is placing the focus on establishing control earlier and avoiding the type of fight that required recovery before he could finish it.

Warrington, however, rejected the idea that the rematch will follow the same pattern. He said he has prepared with the intention of reversing the previous result and believes his condition reflects the urgency he feels heading into the second fight.

“I’m right up for this one,” Warrington said. “The determination, the focus. It’s all there. I have rolled back the years for this one. Whatever he is going to bring, I’ve got a plan for it. There’s a lot up the sleeves of Josh Warrington this time.”

Both fighters made weight successfully ahead of Saturday’s rematch. Wood weighed 129.8 pounds, with Warrington slightly lighter at 129.7 pounds, confirming the fight will proceed as scheduled in front of Wood’s home crowd in Nottingham.

Wood’s prediction now establishes a specific standard for the rematch. He is no longer approaching Warrington as an opponent he must break down over time, but as one he expects to separate from earlier, placing the burden on the fight itself to confirm whether that separation exists.