Josh proves he’s top drawer now
JOSH WARRINGTON was busy putting together furniture yesterday just hours after he announced himself as one of the best featherweights in the world.
It was back down to earth as his wife Tasha handed him the instructions and Allen keys for a chest of drawers from IKEA soon after he outpointed Carl Frampton in the first defence of his IBF belt.
The new Leeds star was reminded there was more work to be done before he could celebrate the best win of his career. Not that he will mind.
“She’ll vouch for me and the first thing
I said to her was that I can’t wait to get home on Sunday and put that furniture together for her,” said Warrington, who suffered a broken hand in a fight-of-the-year contender as he won with a unanimous points victory.
“I’ve done no Christmas shopping so I’ll be out on Christmas Eve trying to do it all,” added Warrington.
He can afford to splash out now with big paydays to come.
Rival WBO champion Oscar Valdez is top of his wish list and his promoter Frank Warren backed him to unify the division.
“It means I can stop buying my babies’ dresses in Asda, I can really spoil them now,” added Warrington whose wife gave birth to twin girls this year.
“We go up against the odds and prove people wrong.”
Warrington, 28, had been given no chance of beating Lee Selby to win the IBF title in May and he was the underdog again on Saturday.
But this thrilling win puts him alongside the top dogs in the division – Valdez, WBC title-holder Gary Russell jnr and WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz.
Over Christmas, Frampton, 31, will consider his future in the sport.
The clever and brave Belfast fighter suffered his second career loss and will sit down with wife Christine and his parents before making a decision. He will receive the full backing of his promoter Warren if he wants to walk away or if he opts to move up to super-featherweight. Warren said: “We signed new long-term contracts with both before the fight and whatever he wants to do I’ll be with him 100 per cent.
“If he said he wanted to pack it in I’d support him 100 per cent.” Frampton admitted that Warrington was the better man at the Manchester Arena. The ‘Jackal’ said: “Frank Warren said it’s the best fight he’s ever seen, which is something. He’s seen a few. I’ve got a big heart. I lost the fight but I wanted to stay in there and fight it out.”