Josh Warrington addresses retirement rumours
Josh Warrington provided an update on his career status, revealing to DAZN that he does intend to continue fighting, despite looking otherwise.
After his last defeat to Anthony Cacace in September, the “Leeds Warrior” took off his gloves and laid them down in the centre of the ring in what appeared to be a statement.
However, the two-time IBF World champion now reflects on the gesture as a spur-of-the-moment reaction to his third loss in a row.
“I don’t think so,” Warrington responded to retirement rumours. “I laid my gloves down in the ring, it felt like a rash decision. One of my friends, Liam Harrison (a kickboxer), did something similar.”
“I thought, with my frustrations that I couldn’t get going, that maybe it’s not there. I’m always critical. I can be winning a fight and think I’m not doing good enough.
“After analysing it, and watching back with my team, I still think there’s enough there to compete at the highest level, and to win as well. Physically, I feel good.
“I do feel that if my mental side had been good [against Cacace], it might have been a different outcome. I can’t complain about it, because what has happened has happened.
“I believe if it’s gone physically, it’s gone. You can’t get that back. But the mental side can be changed. I’ve pinpointed the reasons why I wouldn’t let the shots fall as I usually do.”
Warrington has only won once in his last six bouts and, at 34, seems to be in the twilight of his career now.
Firstly came the shock defeat to hard-hitting Mexican Mauricio Lara during lockdown in 2021, then the pair shared a gutting draw in the rematch after a cut to Lara’s left eye caused the bout to be halted after just two rounds.
Warrington came back strongly in 2022 by knocking out Spaniard Kiko Martinez in seven rounds to become a two-time world champion. However, he lost the belt the same year to another Mexican, Luis ALberto Lopez.
In 2023, he started brightly against WBA featherweight champion, Leigh Wood, but was caught in the seventh round and stopped for the second time in his career. That was his only fight of the year and has so far only fought once this year.
He was bidding to become a two-weight world champion against Cacace, but believes he struggled to find his rhythm at Wembley Stadium.
“I’d had a perfect camp,” he admitted. “Nothing could have gone better. I was fit, I was strong, I’d been through the gameplan diligently. We knew that second to none.
“But nothing came out on the night when it really mattered. I could see little triggers we were trying to pull, I could see the shots coming, but I couldn’t or didn’t do anything about it.
“I don’t think it clicked until round nine or ten that I hadn’t really got out of second gear and got into the fight. I thought I started really well and then I went into a bit of a shell.”
Despite his frustrations, the Yorkshire man has managed to get past that and is ready to kick on once again.
“For a couple of weeks after, I was very frustrated with myself, kind of mourning it,” Warrington concluded. “That bled into frustration and annoyance. But I seem to be alright now.”