Josh left nursing his Warr wounds
JOSH WARRINGTON spent yesterday with his family after getting the all-clear from brain scans in the early hours following his shock defeat by Mauricio Lara.
But the Leeds Warrior is facing a lengthy spell outside of the ring after suffering a fractured jaw and perforated ear drum in the bruising battle which has wrecked his dreams of winning another world title this year.
The 30-year-old was stunned by the 10-1 outsider, who finished him in the ninth to hand him his first career defeat, in one of the biggest upsets ever in a British ring.
The Yorkshireman was close to being stopped by the Mexican underdog after he was floored heavily in the fourth.
Somehow he survived the round but referee Howard Foster was criticised for allowing the bout to go on, with the pre-fight favourite clearly hurt badly.
Warrington tried to battle back but he struggled to clear his head and the end came in the ninth, when 22-year-old Lara floored him again and this time Foster rightly waved it off.
It could be a devastating blow for Warrington’s career after he relinquished the IBF featherweight title before the bout, to clear the way for bigger fights later this year.
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed Warrington, who also suffered a suspected torn rotator cuff early in the bout, has a rematch clause but the Leeds man will take some time before deciding his next step.
“I know that Josh Warrington will be thinking ‘rematch’, even now, because he’s a fighter,” Hearn said. “But the people around him – and I put myself in that team – need to make sure he’s safe and well. That’s the first priority.
“It was one of the most thrilling fights I’ve ever seen. The promoter in me believes the rematch is massive but the pal in me says, ‘Just make sure he’s all right’. The rematch is a long way away.”
Warrington was back at home to celebrate his twin girls’ third birthday with wife Natasha after being released from hospital in the early hours.
For Lara – now 22-2 as a pro – it is the biggest win of the Mexico City native’s career by some distance, after he arrived in London being given little chance.
Warrington admitted seeing his rival tucking into a huge pizza following Friday’s weigh-in made him a little uneasy as he couldn’t tell if he was supremely confident or not taking the fight seriously.
But now it is the pre-fight underdog who may grab a chance to fight for a slice of the featherweight title after this stunning win, as Warrington’s hopes of facing WBA champ Can Xu disappeared.
“I think this just shows you that you shouldn’t make plans for the future,” said Lara.
“I feel like this is my moment to shine and show the world what I can do. I don’t know if he would want to do it again. But I will be even better prepared for the rematch than I was this time.”