Leigh Wood: “I Am Going To Be Dominant”

By: Sean Crose

“I’m not offended that I’m not the favourite,” former IBF featherweight world titlist Josh Warrington mentioned on the eve of his Saturday struggle with WBA featherweight world titlist Leigh Wooden. “If something it’s motivation. Leigh is the champion, and I’ve been given this chance so I’m very grateful for that. What does annoy me is being written off, I’m completed, that’s given me the bit between my enamel. Final yr I dominated Kiko Martinez inside seven rounds and I dominated the second half of the Lopez struggle, and individuals are speaking about how properly he’s performed since our struggle.”

The reality is that Warrington, an excellent fighter, misplaced his IBF featherweight title to Luis Lopez by way of majority resolution final December. Now he has an opportunity to turn out to be a world titlist as soon as once more. “I’m hungry,” he mentioned in the course of the press convention within the leadup to this weekend’s bout. “I haven’t felt like this for a very long time and all through this camp and the entire yr, my head has been in an excellent place, centered, and I believe that the one purpose I’ve misplaced earlier than is mindset. Bodily I’m all the time good, I dwell within the gymnasium and I’m obsessive about coaching, so the mindset has let me down previously.”

Wooden himself seemed to be eyeing the problem that’s Warrington realistically. “Josh has had some actually good wins,” he mentioned, “probably higher than mine. He’s right here due to these credentials, not every other purpose. It’s going to be an electrical ambiance and I’m anticipating it to be the most effective I’ve ever witnessed, particularly on my ring stroll, we’ve bought extra tickets than we’ve ever performed so it’s going to be a terrific night time and one that may go down in historical past. I wish to (be)remembered as top-of-the-line featherweights from this nation.”

Though he’d love a stellar win, Wooden made it clear he’ll merely be pleased with a properly earned victory on Saturday when he and Warrington sq. off in Sheffield, England. “A KO is a risk,” he mentioned. “I’m not going to go on the market banking on knocking him out, however I’m going to be dominant. I do know Josh could be very robust, I’ve been ringside for plenty of his fights, particularly the Kiko struggle, that stands out for me. He obtained harm and he was near being stopped himself when he obtained his stoppage, so I do know he can chunk down and provides the whole lot he must, however at what price as a result of there can be instances on this struggle when he must work extraordinarily exhausting simply to win a second, and I’ll make him pay for these moments.”

The Wooden-Warrington struggle can be broadcast dwell on the DAZN in america on Saturday afternoon, 2PM japanese time.