Josh Warrington: “I can't afford to be losing at this stage of my career”
When Josh Warrington was asked at the press conference for his upcoming bout against Kiko Martinez whether it was a ‘retirement fight’, a wry smile appeared on his face. It seemed as though the sheer notion of defeat hadn’t even crossed his mind, but he righted himself for long enough to deliver a PR-savvy soundbite.
“Kiko is a true testament to the word champion; he's a legend in the sport and I have huge respect for him,” the man from Leeds confirmed, before continuing: “I can't afford to be losing at this stage of my career.”
@J_Warrington: “The Colosseum Spaniard, oh you should see the Colosseum… 10 thousand Leeds, watching every movement of your gloves, willing you to land that killer KO…the silence before you strike…. It rises… it rises up like, like a storm….as if you was the Thunder God himself …????”
You can forgive the bullishness of a fighter that went 30-0 before twice becoming entangled with Mauricio Lara – the first contest ending in a shock stoppage defeat for the ages, with the bookmakers pricing Warrington at odds of 1/33 in a bout they simply could not see him losing.
The rematch, which was designed to offer the 31-year-old redemption and closure, ended prematurely in the second round when an accidental clash of heads saw Lara suffer a nasty cut above his left eye.
The Mexican has been keeping a low profile ever since, and after six months on the sidelines, Warrington is itching to right his wrongs. He wants to take out Lara, possibly on American soil, and avenge his loss. But first, he’ll do well to keep his eye on the ball. Martinez is heading for Leeds on March 26th, and he’s already made clear his desire to ‘surprise the world again.’ However, the boxing betting odds are against him as Warrington is priced at 2/9 to win. After being shocked before in his career, you'd expect Warrington to not underestimate any opponent ever again even if he has faced them before.
Drawing a Line
When Warrington and Martinez first collided in 2017, the stakes were somewhat different. The Spaniard was the world-renowned fighter who has been an IBF champion already, and who had twice challenged for WBA gold at super-bantamweight and featherweight level.
Warrington, on the other hand, had put together an impressive resumé at the domestic level and was taking a major step up in class, albeit with sizable home support cheering him on.
It wasn’t a classic clash by any means, but most felt that Warrington had done enough, as evidenced by two judges’ cards of 116-112 in his favor. But the third made it 114-114, and those kinds of wins are the ones that a fighter tends to want to make rather more conclusive in the rematch.
The fact that he’s even tangling with Martinez again has come as a significant shock. Warrington hilariously revealed that he ‘dropped my kebab’ after learning that the veteran had defeated Kid Galahad for the IBF title.
@IntuBoxing: Josh Warrington camp for Kiko Martinez WORLD TITLE fight is under way ???? @J_Warrington will be looking to beat Martinez for the second time to get the belt back he never lost in the ring ???????? #MartinezWarrington2
Martinez’s career had appeared to be petering out following heavy losses to Gary Russell Jr and Zelfa Barrett, and most thought that he was simply filling time for Galahad prior to his likely entanglement with Warrington himself.
However, one punch can change the entire landscape of world boxing, and Martinez, who had been floundering for the first five rounds against Galahad, found a couple of huge shots to stop the champion and take his seat at the top table once more.
A third fight with Lara awaits, and the chance to take his loyal Leeds following across the Atlantic is a chance that the likable lad will be chomping at the bit for. But, as Galahad found out to his cost, he cannot afford to take Martinez lightly.