Former two-time world IBF world champion, Josh Warrington, does not intend to retire following his defeat to Luis Alberto Lopez last month in Leeds. Warrington although sluggish for the opening eight rounds finished strong in the encounter which acted as his maiden defence of the IBF crown of which he captured against Kiko Martinez in March of 2022. Warrington ultimately fell to a majority decision points defeat against Lopez of whom was a wide outsider with bookmakers to capture his first world title in a career best performance to date.
Speculation was rife within the city of Leeds that Warrington may decide to call it a day and head of into the sunset having established himself as Leeds’s most successful fighter and one of the UK’s most accomplished fighters in recent years. The thirty-two year old has won English, Commonwealth, British, European and the IBF world crown but Warrington feel’s that he still plenty of fight left in him and revealed the mental turmoil he felt following the defeat to Lopez.
“The first few nights were difficult because I closed my eyes and all I could do was see him celebrating," Warrington, 32, told BBC Sport. "It was hard to close my eyes and see him jumping around, holding my belt."
He added: "I turned one side of the pillow, close my eyes, see him again. Then I turn the other side, close my eyes and I'd see him again."
"On Monday and Tuesday [following the loss] I wanted to put my trainers on and start running. I wanted to get back into the gym," Warrington continued.
"If I didn't have those feelings, it would be time to call it a day but it's still there, that fire is still there. I've just lost a majority decision and people say it could have gone either way. I've not been disgraced, and I finished the fight stronger than he did but maybe I just got it wrong at the start. I've still got it and I want to put it right”.
Warrington has stated that he feels that he should get the winner of any prospective encounter between WBA world champion Leigh Wood & Mauricio Lara, which Warrington has already been suggested to fight in recent times. Warrington has previously fought Lara twice with the Mexican scoring a stoppage victory in Febuary of 2021 before a NC rematch in September following a head clash.
"Leigh Wood is going to be out soon and there's talks about him facing Lara - why can't I have the winner out of them two? I've got to be patient now because I've kind of gone on to the B-side," Warrington said.
"They [Wood and his team] still want the fight because it's a big fight domestically.
"That fight will bring a lot of pounds to the table and brings a lot of attention."
