STILL MARCHING
Warrington is working towards a world title shot, writes George Gigney
AFTER his broadcast deal with BT Sport was announced last year, promoter Frank Warren promised to attract some of the UK’S top talent to his stable, and Leeds featherweight Josh
Warrington was one such name. His first fight under the Queensberry Promotions banner and on BT Sport comes this Saturday (May 13), when he meets former IBF super-bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez over 12 rounds at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. Boxnation are also showing the card.
The unbeaten 26-year-old is fiercely popular in his hometown and has already become a stalwart of this particular venue. He has won British and European honours and twice defended his Commonwealth title there, but Martinez insists he won’t be fazed.
“Sincerely, I don’t care. It is something usual in my career, but the pressure is not on me, the pressure is on him,” he told Boxing News.
“This is the most important fight of his career and everybody will be in the arena watching him: his family, his friends, all his people. You can trust me, he is in trouble.” Under previous promoter Eddie Hearn, Warrington frequently headlined at the Arena, selling thousands of tickets – many of which he’d deliver himself – and climbing up the world rankings. He is currently in the WBC’S top five, and has been for a while, though a fight with Wales’ IBF champion Lee Selby has long been spoken about. Spaniard Martinez is a decent
opponent for Warrington at this stage, and certainly a tougher adversary than Marco Mccullough, who Josh was originally mooted to be fighting. Having twice lost to Carl Frampton and once to Scott Quigg since 2013 (both at superbantam), Kiko is well known to UK fans, though perhaps not as a world-beater.
However, he is a tough, experienced and strong pressure-fighter who will ask questions of Warrington. His only meaningful fight at featherweight came against WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz in February of last year, and Martinez was stopped in five entertaining rounds.
The 31-year-old can’t be written off, though. He produced an inspired performance to win the IBF superbantamweight title in 2013 when he came from behind to wreck Jhonatan Romero. He then made two successful stoppage defences, the latter coming against the favoured Hozumi Hasegawa. When required he can turn the screw and swarm opponents but, as Frampton, Quigg and Santa Cruz proved, this can also be his undoing.
Warrington’s talent started to come to the fore in 2013 when he won the Commonwealth crown by stopping Samir Mouneimne in 12 rounds. Wins over Rendall Munroe (rtd 7) and Martin Lindsay (pts 12) saw him add the British belt to his haul, and he then became European champion by halting Davide Dieli in four.
He then moved onto fringe world level, outpointing Dennis Tubieron, Joel Brunker and Hisashi Amagasa for a trio of solid wins, before stopping former world title challenger Patrick Hyland in nine in July.
A mark against Warrington’s name is an apparent lack of power – he has five inside-schedule successes from 24 victories – however, it has not left him wanting so far. Against Hyland he proved that he can break opponents apart and hurt them late in the fight.
His lack of stoppages is not for a lack of trying, either. Warrington fights at a fast pace and likes to throw combinations, usually spearing punches down the middle followed by hooks to the body.
However, when people have beaten Martinez, they usually get his respect
early and have enough firepower to fend him off. Warrington will need to pace himself and keep Martinez at bay with sharp, straight shots. The pick is for the local favourite to win on points. In chief support, Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens, 22-2 (7), defends his British super-bantamweight title against West Rainton’s Thomas Patrick Ward, 20-0 (2). Dickens is fighting for the first time since having his jaw broken by poundfor-pounder Guillermo Rigondeaux in July, and will be making the second defence of his belt after edging out Thomas’ brother, Martin Ward, on a split decision in 2015.
The challenger is somewhat of an unknown quantity, although those in the know in the North East claim him to be a very talented boxer. He hasn’t yet mixed in the same class as southpaw Dickens, who should win this one on the cards. Former amateur star
Nicola Adams, 1-0, will box in her hometown for the first time since she was 13 on the undercard in her second professional fight. The popular flyweight’s opponent is Mexican Maryan Salazar, 5-1. The pair will be boxing three-minute rounds, rather than two. It is set for four.
Also on the bill, unbeaten Guisborough super-lightweight Josh Leather, 11-0 (5), meets Dublin’s Philip
Sutcliffe Jnr, 13-1 (8), in a well-matched
12-rounder.
THE VERDICT Warrington can continue his pursuit of a world title chance with a win over Martinez.