The Boxing Truth®

The showdown between two-time Featherweight world champion Leigh Wood and former two-time Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington was one which was highly anticipated in the United Kingdom as it was an encounter that brought together two of the top fighters in the sport and two of the top draws in the United Kingdom as well. It was also a clash between two boxer/punchers that stylistically appeared as though it could be a fight of the year candidate. Before an enthusiastic sellout crowd in the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England on October 7th, Boxing fans were treated to a memorable battle. Before the battle occurred however, there were questions regarding the condition of the WBA world champion Wood, who had struggled on the day before the fight to make the 126lb. Featherweight limit. This fueled speculation that no matter the outcome, Wood, who was making the first defense of his second reign as WBA world champion, would be moving up in weight after this fight.  For a sig...

One of the bigger bouts remaining on the Boxing calendar for 2023 will kick off the month of October as two-time Featherweight world champion Leigh Wood will begin his second reign as WBA world champion as he makes his first defense since regaining the title in May of this year, against former two-time Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington on Saturday, October 7th. The showdown in the 126lb. Featherweight division, which will take place at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England and will be broadcast globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN , has the possibility to be a sleeper candidate for Fight of the Year. Not only does this encounter bring together two of the biggest stars that the United Kingdom currently has to offer, each with significant followings, but also two of the best the Featherweight division has to offer. Leigh Wood's recent career could probably be best described as a rollercoaster. Many likely remember his thrilling and brutal knoc...

  Mexican Independence Day weekend has traditionally been one of the marquee dates on the Boxing calendar ever year routinely featuring some of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. The 2023 Mexican Independence Day weekend featured a bout for the IBF Featherweight championship of the world between defending champion Luis Lopez and two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez, who was getting his third opportunity to win a world championship. A fight that took place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX on September 15th. While many of the previous battles that have taken place during Mexican Independence Day weekend have featured fighters regarded as the marquee attractions in the sport facing off against each other, this fight may not have been regarded as being in that category by some, but it was a solid encounter between two world-class fighters and featured a world champion in Lopez, who’s star has been on the rise. It was also a fight that featured a s...

While much of the focus of the Boxing world on Saturday, December 10th was split between two of the sport’s biggest stars Terence Crawford and Teofimo Lopez headlining competing Boxing events, earlier in the day (in U.S. Time) saw the return of another star in the sport that deserves equal mention along with Crawford and Lopez as a headline attraction. This observer is referring to two-time Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington. Warrington returned to the ring for the first time since regaining the IBF Featherweight world championship by stopping Kiko Martinez in March of this year to begin his second reign as champion in a title defense against  IBF number one Featherweight contender Luis Lopez. A defense that took place in the champion’s hometown of Leeds, England at the First Direct Arena. Taking place in the immediate aftermath of England’s loss in the quarter finals to France in the FIFA World Cup, Lopez showed no negative effects from the atmosphere of fighting the cha...

Credit: DAZN Press Release: September 24, 2022 By DAZN – Josh Warrington will defend his IBF World Featherweight title against Luis Alberto Lopez at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Saturday December 10, live worldwide on DAZN – and Matchroom and DAZN can announce that the Light-Flyweight unification clash between Hiroto Kyoguchi and Kenshiro Teraji will be broadcast live on DAZN in Europe when the pair clash in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday November 1.   Warrington (31-1-1 8 KOs) regained the IBF strap when he stopped Kiko Martinez in his Leeds fortress in March, with the hometown hero flooring the Spaniard in the opening round before ending matters in the seventh round to punctuate a blistering performance in front of his adoring fans.   The 31 year old suffered a broken jaw in his second career win over Martinez but has fully recovered and now aims to take care of a dangerous mandatory challenge before targeting unification blockbusters.    “So we are b...

 Originally, this column was intended to focus strictly on the landscape of the 126lb. Featherweight division that took a significant spotlight during the month of March in the sport of Boxing. Due to circumstances beyond this observer's control however, this column will be expanded to include some of the other events that took place during the last full week of March. This is due in part to technical issues that yours truly experienced during what was expected to be coverage of the RJJ Boxing card, which took place on Thursday, March 24 th in Nayarit, Mexico. Unfortunately, due to those technical problems, coverage of that card will be limited to the following results.   In the opening bout of the card, which took place at the Palenque de la Expo, Lightweight Marco Moreno scored a four round unanimous decision over Jonathan Zuniga. Featherweight Hector Cruz scored a six round unanimous decision over Miguel Hernandez. Jr Lightweight Armando Almanza scored an eight round d...

  Featherweights Mauricio Lara and former IBF Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington fought to a two round technical draw on Saturday night at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. A rematch of a ninth round stoppage from February of this year that was won by Lara, the rematch began with Lara and Warrington being willing to engage. In the second round Lara was cut over the left eye due to an accidental clash of heads. The resulting deep gash was examined by a ringside physician before round three could begin and it was determined that the gash was too deep to allow Lara to continue. As the bout had not progressed beyond four completed rounds, the bout was ruled a technical draw under the rules. Mauricio Lara advances to 23-2-2, with 16 Knockouts. Josh Warrington advances to 30-1-1, with 7 Knockouts.   Also on this card: Undefeated Undisputed Women’s Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor scored a ten round unanimous decision over former IBF Featherweight world cha...

  In February of this year, Josh Warrington, the recent former IBF Featherweight world champion, who had relinquished his crown due to elements surrounding the politics of the sport of Boxing climbed into the ring with veteran Mauricio Lara at the Wembley Arena in London, England in what was thought by some to be a means for Warrington to simply re-enter competition after being sidelined like much of the world by the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. Although some thought of Mauricio Lara as a mere opponent, he did enter the fight with a respectable record of 22-2, with 15 Knockouts compared to Warrington’s 30-0, with 7 Knockouts. It became clear rather quickly once the fight began that, despite not having the resume comparable to the former world champion, Lara was not interested in being a mere opponent for a fighter in Warrington that frankly had bigger things looming ahead of him.  As some may recall when the two fighters met on February 13 th of this year, Lara proved t...

  Press Release: July 14, 2021 By DAZN –  London, July 14 2021  –  Mauricio Lara  and  Josh Warrington  will rematch   in an epic showdown   at Emerald Headingley Stadium on Saturday September 4, live worldwide on  DAZN . The co-main event will also feature undisputed Lightweight World Champion  Katie Taylor , who puts all her belts on the line against IBF Mandatory Challenger  Jennifer Han .  Credit:DAZN  ‘The Leeds Warrior’ (30-1, 7 KOs) was floored and ruthlessly finished by Mexico’s Lara (22-2, 15 KOs) in a sensational knockout loss at The SSE Arena, Wembley in February that put a massive dent in the former IBF Featherweight World Champion’s unification plans.    Warrington endured a stunning upset defeat as he was dropped and nearly stopped in the fourth round before ‘Bronco’ sent him crashing to the canvas again in the ninth to end the 30-year-old’s unbeaten record.    The upset-of-the-y...