Leigh Wood pulled off a stunning stoppage of Josh Warrington out of nowhere in the seventh round to retain his WBA featherweight title in unbelievable fashion.
The Nottingham hero was being totally dominated by the Leeds favourite at a raucous Sheffield Arena. Wood, 35, looked set for defeat until he landed a huge right hand which dazed Warrington.
The Leeds man started to stumble forwards and Wood ruthlessly put him down with a right hook and left hand combination. Warrington, 32, beat the count but stumbled over to his corner where dad and trainer Sean O’Hagan was, before referee Michael Alexander waved the bout off to end his dreams of becoming a three-time world champion.
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Warrington was not happy with the stoppage but he had his back turned to the official as he finished off the count, which gave the impression he didn’t want to continue. The Leeds man insisted he had heard the bell was returning to his corner for the break.
But the drama may now set up a big rematch with Wood keen to stage it at the City Ground, the home of his beloved Nottingham Forest. The comeback win from Wood caps a fine year where he got revenge against Mauricio Lara to regain the title.
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Wood is British boxing’s Cinderella Man having overcome early career defeats and that brutal stoppage by Lara. Yet again he fought back from the brink to show his never-say-die attitude.
Warrington had hurt him in the third and body shots throughout were troubling Wood who was also cut in the fourth round as Sheffield Arena roared both their men on with Nottingham and Leeds fans on either side of the room. The defending champion was hurt again in the fifth as Warrington looked in control.
Warrington was landing with left hooks with ease and the body work appeared to have Wood struggling with the pace in the fight. The Yorkshireman teed off in the sixth with a superb combination and it seemed to be only going one way.
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But then just moments after the Leeds Warrior was deducted a point for hitting behind the head, Wood turned it all around in an instant in the seventh round to send the Nottingham fans wild. Warrington was out to show he had plenty left in the tank after a career where he reigned as IBF champion twice.
At 32, he is three years younger than Wood but he has had a longer time at the top level. Warrington showed here there is still some spark left but his vulnerability was shown here again as he suffered back-to-back defeats having been beaten by Luis Alberto Lopez last year.
Wood now adds another big name to his growingly impressive CV and he will be hoping to land that fight at the City Ground but he will be giving up the WBA title as he plans to move to super-featherweight.
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