Leeds fans can roar Josh to title
THE phenomenal popularity of Josh Warrington in his home city of Leeds brings British boxing to a remarkable fifth football stadium fight in little more than a year.
Up to 30,000 fans are expected at Leeds United’s Elland Road tonight to roar Warrington into his challenge for Lee Selby’s world featherweight title.
This follows crowds of 90,000 at Wembley and 80,000, twice, in Cardiff for world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and a near-30,000 turn-out for Kell Brook at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane.
Now the 22- year- old Warrington, a Leeds fan who will be led to the ring by his boyhood hero Lucas Radebe, the club’s former captain, adds his impetus to the boom in boxing.
He said: ‘When I was a kid watching Leeds I started to picture in my mind how amazing it would be if I could ever fight in this stadium. Now I am realising that ambition.’
How he fares against Selby, the experienced 31-year-old IBF champion from Wales, depends in part on how he reacts to the occasion.
Warrington will hope to respond with the finest performance of his so-far unbeaten career. He will need to do just that to have a realistic chance of fulfilling his world title dream.
Selby is a quiet man and as such is somewhat under the radar with the wider public. He hopes to change that by beating Warrington in front of his Leeds fans and a big TV audience.
While Warrington is a strong, fit, high-presssure young fighter, Selby is an elite boxer in the elusive Floyd Mayweather mould. Not only is he difficult to hit but also lightning fast. The winner is expected to go on to another huge football ground fight this summer.
A resurgent Carl Frampton has Belfast’s Windsor Park, Northern Ireland’s national stadium, booked for what he hopes will be a chance to regain his world championship status on August 18.
That is most likely to be against Selby, probably by unanimous decision, unless Warrington draws supercharged inspiration from the frenzied atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury says he has appointed snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan to his support team ahead of his comeback fight in Manchester next month — against an opponent still to be announced.
Lee Selby v Josh Warrington live on BT Sport & Box Nation.