Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington resumed their heated rivalry after a fierce rivalry on Thursday ahead of their rematch on February 21 in Nottingham.
Wood (28-4, 17 KO), a former world featherweight champion, and Warrington (32-4-1, 8 KO), a former two-time world champion in the same category, will finally meet early next year in their long-awaited second fight.
Their rivalry has been going on for two years, since their first fight.
Wood beat Warrington with a dramatic round 7 knockout in October 2023 after he was on the judges’ scorecards. Warrington controlled the fight well, landing more punches than his opponent.
They argued during their first meeting since the rematch was announced.
“I don’t like him now. From the first fight he never showed any respect. For me, was I afraid of Leigh going into the first fight? Probably not,” Warrington said.
“I thought the fight was going as I expected until round 7. I have to make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again. I had an simple night up until that point.”
Wood replied: “He won the rounds, but at what cost? It cost him the fight. If he wants to do it again, he can do it again.”
“I don’t even think about this fight, I think about winning this fight. If I lose this fight, it takes away the credibility of the first fight. I don’t know if I will fight again after this fight, I haven’t even thought about it. But for me, I have to win this fight.
While their exchange started cordially, it soon turned heated as the animosity between them became clear. After the conversation, there was a long exchange of words.
“You have to be perfect for 36 minutes, I have to be perfect for one or two seconds,” Wood said. “I’m going to hit you so damn tough I can’t wait.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn made it clear how high the stakes were in the rematch.
“This fight should have happened a year ago. Warrington was bullying Leigh and Leigh turned the tables and stopped him,” Hearn said.
“It’s the last roll of the dice. If you lose this fight, it’s over. They should both admit it. The winner will continue fighting and put up a huge fight, the loser… They won’t want to rebuild and rebuild.”
“Career hanging in the balance, bad blood, Nottingham v Leeds but above all a great fight.”