Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Josh: I’ll end underdog tag

- BOXING

YORKSHIRE’S Josh Warrington intends to keep ‘proving people wrong’ as he prepares to make the first defence of his IBF featherwei­ght title.

Warrington feels the significan­ce of becoming world champion at his beloved Elland Road by upsetting the odds against Lee Selby was slightly downplayed because of the Welshman’s struggles to make the 126lb limit.

He is unfazed by being an underdog once more with the bookmakers ahead of his showdown against former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton at the Manchester Arena tomorrow.

Indeed, Warrington believes his status relieves the pressure on his shoulders and feels another surprise victory would go a long way to silencing his doubters.

The 28-year-old said: “I thought winning a world title would announce me on the world stage but I guess not.

“I guess you keep on fighting the big names and proving people wrong.

“To beat Lee Selby and

Carl Frampton back-to-back in the same year would be some achievemen­t.

“Carl has got a massive profile worldwide and a good win and people will start to know who Josh Warrington is.”

It is nearly two years since Frampton last fought for a world title, losing for the first time as a profession­al to Leo Santa Cruz in January 2017 having outpointed the American six months earlier.

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