Warrington was 'desperate' for Wood rematch

Leigh Wood (left) beat Josh Warrington in their initial fight in October 2023 after the referee waved the contest off after the seventh round

Josh Warrington has had to do "everything in his power" to secure a rematch against British featherweight rival Leigh Wood.

Warrington, 35, lost a WBA title fight to Wood, 37, in Sheffield in controversial circumstances in October 2023.

The pair will now face off for a second time in Wood's home city at the Nottingham Arena on 21 February.

"From my perspective the rematch was spoken about straight away. I was frustrated because I thought the second fight would be even bigger than the first one," Warrington told BBC Radio Leeds.

"It's a frustration of the sport. I've had to do everything in my power to get the fight on, if it meant me wearing pink shorts and walking to the ring with a daft hat on my head I'd have done it. I'd have fought him in his backyard.

"I'm that desperate to put to bed what I think should have happened in the first fight.

"I think Leigh has been a bit of a diva over the past few years but he wants to fight there. He wants to fight there [in Nottingham] and I'm fine with that."

Wood, who was the defending champion, won the initial bout after Michael Alexander deemed that Warrington could not continue after being knocked down at the end of the seventh round.

The former IBF world champion said he felt like he was "hard done by" by the referee's decision.

"Leigh caught me with a good shot at the end of the round, he says it was well-timed I say lucky, and it buzzes me and I go down to the canvas," Warrington added.

"When I was down the bell rang for the end of the round and I got up and went to walk to my corner. I could hear him counting 'six, seven, eight' and when I turned around he was already waving his arms to say the fight was over.

"I later found out I was up in every round on the judges' scorecards so I feel hard done by and think I should have been given the benefit of the doubt."

Warrington not ready to walk away

Josh Warrington looked to have retired after his defeat by Anthony Cacace in September 2024 but believes he still has more to achieve in the sport

Warrington, who turned professional in 2009, has fought just twice since that defeat by Wood in October 2023.

He lost to Anthony Cacace at Wembley in September 2024 to fall to a third successive defeat and left his gloves in the ring after the bout to lead many to think he was retiring

However, he returned to beat Asad Asif Khan in Sheffield in May this year and says he believes he can still achieve more things in the sport

"A lot of people do think I have retired because they've seen the image of me putting my gloves down in the ring which is a bit of a message to everyone that you are calling it a day," he said.

"I sometimes walk through the streets of Leeds and people come up to me and ask how retirement is going and I'm like 'I'm back, I had a fight earlier this year'.

"I sat around for about three or four weeks after the Cacace fight and I was mourning my career because it is something I have done for such a long time.

"I thought it was it but came back to the gym just to keep myself fit and let some frustrations out and I spoke to some psychologists as well because it wasn't physical, it was a mental thing.

"You're a long time retired, I love doing it and I still think I can still achieve some things. I'm not one of those fighters who will lie to themselves, if I don't think I've got it then I will walk away."

Warrington said the nature of boxing meant fighters had to face more questions about their willingness to carry on once they have lost a bout.

He became IBF world champion with a win over Lee Selby in January 2018 and memorably defended it against Northern Irishman Carl Frampton in a classic contest in Manchester in December of that year.

He suffered a shock first defeat in his 31st professional bout when he was stopped by Mexican Mauricio Lara in February 2021 and goes into the rematch with Wood with four defeats and two wins in seven fights since October 2019.

"I think the last couple of fights I've had when I've stepped up to the press conference or interviews it's been like, 'you've got to win this one or that's it' and you look at some other boxers who have become legends... there are only the likes of Floyd Maywether and Joe Calzaghe who have finished with that perfect 0 on their record," he said.

"When I boxed Luis Alberto Lopez and lost people said 'is that enough?' but then I fought Wood 10 months later and people were saying it was the best they had seen me since I beat Frampton and Selby...

"I think when you compare it to other sports then Erling Haaland could miss a sitter and get slagged off but then score a hat-trick the following week and he's world class again. That's week in and week out but with boxing we have such a big space.

"I'm only thinking about winning and that's what I'll do."