WORLD TITLE A MUST FOR REMATCH – JOSH
WARRINGTON OUTLINES WHAT IS NEEDED FROM CARL FRAMPTON BEFORE POSSIBLE REMATCH
Josh Warrington would welcome a rematch with Carl Frampton, but only if the Northern Irishman won a world featherweight title.
Warrington capped a breakout year by following up his surprise victory over Lee Selby last May, when he wrenched the IBF crown from the Welshman, by outpointing Frampton in December to retain his belt in another upset.
Defeat in a highly-entertaining bout left Frampton contemplating retirement but he decided to carry on and has his sights set on challenging WBO title holder Oscar Valdez after signing a co-promotional deal with Top Rank.
Warrington is intent on establishing a legacy within the 126lbs division so would only countenance a repeat of his punishing 12-round battle against Frampton if his rival were to win world honours again.
“Maybe I should have got chinned then I would have got that opportunity,” Warrington quipped when asked what he thought of the former two-weight world champion linking up with Top Rank.
“Good for Carl, I guess, good to see him going on. Hopefully he can get a big fight, get a world title and if he does then hopefully we can get a rematch down the line.
“I’d happily give him a rematch as long as he’s got a world title.”
Frampton’s new promotional deal means his fights will be shown on ESPN platforms in the United States.
Asked whether he would like to follow his rival’s lead, Warrington added: “If that means I’d get a fight in the States against one of the other champions, then yeah.
“I’m quite open to anything and anything that will lead me to a fight with one of the other world champions.
“It’s gone beyond making history for myself, my family, my friends and my city, now it’s creating a legacy for the country.
“I could go down as one of the country’s greats in terms of featherweight or maybe even one of the country’s best fighters in all the divisions.
“We’ve had a few world champions recently but we don’t have many unified champions and I believe I can do that.”
Before any potential unification bouts later this year, Warrington will take on mandatory challenger and fellow Yorkshireman Kid Galahad on June 15 at the Leeds Arena.
Warrington beat Galahad twice when they were in the amateur ranks and is convinced the Sheffield fighter is still stung by the pair of losses.
Warrington said: “I haven’t mentioned it as much as he has so it’s not pecking away at my head, it’s pecking away at his head. When he goes to bed at night he’ll know that.
“I’ve looked in his eyes before and he knows what it’s like to look in mine. He’ll have it in his head that I’ve got that over him and I’ll make it a third.”
While both fighters hold unbeaten records in their professional careers, the contest will be a significant step up for Galahad, who earned the opportunity to face Warrington by beating Toka Kahn Clary last October.
He faced a hostile atmosphere at a press conference open to the public in Warrington’s home city of Leeds to announce the fight on Tuesday and is likely to be the underdog when they face off this summer.
How he reacts to adversity could be key, but Warrington added: “We don’t know (how Galahad will respond to the pressure), he doesn’t know how can he know?
“He’s never been the main event fighter, he’s never walked down the ramp in front of thousands who are baying for his blood.
“We’ve had some fighters who’ve loved it, we’ve had some fighters who have crumbled. We’ll only know on the night.”