Two-time and current featherweight champion Leigh Wood defends his WBA belt against former two-time titleholder Josh Warrington at Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England on Saturday, October 7. The pair squares off in the all-British main event bout live on DAZN. The contest is scheduled for 12 rounds.
Ahead of the event, the fighters hosted a public workout, showed off their skills and went face to face.
Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) makes the first defense in his second reign. Nottingham-born, Gedling-based champion reclaimed the title by unanimous decision in the rematch against Mauricio Lara in May.
“[I am] Cool, calm and collected,” Leigh Wood said. “I’ve done everything that I needed to do. I know what I need to do on the night. This is just all the theatrical part of it for me. I’m counting down the days. Tomorrow is probably the worst day – the press conference. It drags, but I’m getting better at it with every camp – right at the end of my career. I can’t wait until fight night.”
“It’s been respectful between us all camp. I think Josh is starting to get slightly aggressive, starting to swear a little bit. He thinks people will like him if he swears a little bit more. The last fews days, I think he’s changing a little bit. He might even be trying to rattle me, I don’t know. Like I said, I’m cool, calm and collected and I know what I’ve got to do.”
“I’ve been at this level many times. He’s going to do what he always does and I’ll do what I always do. I feel like I’ve always had the potential, but I was missing a little bit of guidance. I got to a high level doing things on my own, but since I’ve teamed up with Ben it’s brought out the best in me and it’s showing on fight night. I make less mistakes and I capitalise on my opponents – it’s taken me to another level.”
Warrington (31-2-1, 8 KOs) looks to once again become champion. Leeds’ former two-time IBF featherweight champion lost the title by majority decision against Luis Alberto Lopez last December.
“It’s just here isn’t it, it’s here,” Josh Warrington said. “You just want to get in there and fight. He’s stood there. Have I got an adrenaline rush? No, I’m pretty chilled out. We’ve got to do all of this media stuff, the open workouts, it’s all part of the promotion. We know when Saturday comes, that’s when the real stuff happens. This kind of helps speed up the week a little bit. I don’t mind it. Listen, I’d rather be sat at home watching Homes Under the Hammer with my feet up, but it speeds up the time.”
“I’ve said it throughout my career, every fight has been must-win. Go back to the 31st of October, 2009 my professional debut – that was a must-win. I wanted to get off on winning ways. As your career goes on, that next one is your biggest one. In terms of is it my biggest night altogether, you’ll have t ask me that when I’m done and retired. At this moment in time in my career it’s the biggest fight.”
“I pinched myself becoming a world champion, never mind a three-time world champion. That’s not bad that. I’m going to be asking for freebies around where I live. It’s fantastic, but we’re not done. There’s this and there’s more to add to it. I still strongly believe that I can add more to my career. I always say Josh Warrington win no matter how it comes, but this one, I don’t see it going 12 rounds.”
In 10-round the co-main event, British WBA super welterweight champion Terri Harper (14-1-1, 6 KOs) defends her title against Colombian-Norwegian former undisputed welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus (37-2, 9 KOs). In addition, the vacant WBO super welterweight title is on the line.
In Australia, Wood vs Warrington airs live on Sunday, October 8.
The post Leigh Wood ‘cool, calm & collected,’ Josh Warrington wants to ‘get in there & fight’ appeared first on FIGHTMAG.