Home favourite Leigh Wood comfortably outboxed Josh Warrington in their highly anticipated rematch at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, securing his second victory over the British rival.
Wood controlled the fight from start to finish across 12 rounds, leaving Warrington frustrated and struggling to mount any meaningful attack. The bout ended in a unanimous decision, with judges scoring it 119-109, 119-109, and 117-111.
Afterwards, Warrington, 35, suggested he may retire, reflecting on his fifth loss in 38 professional fights. “It’s too tough a game to turn up and be second best,” he said. “I’m a winner, and the will is there, but when something is missing, it’s too dangerous. I’m 35 now, with three beautiful kids at home. How much more can you keep giving?”
Wood, 37, also a former featherweight world champion, improves his record to 29 wins with four defeats. He hinted this fight could be his final bout. “What a fight to finish on if it’s the last one,” Wood said. “It’s getting harder to be away from my kids—they sacrifice as much as I do.”
Their rivalry, ignited in their first fight in Sheffield where Wood’s decisive seventh-round punch secured victory, brought a charged atmosphere to the sell-out 8,000-capacity arena. The crowd roared as both fighters entered: Warrington to Leeds United’s anthem Marching On Together and Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict a Riot, while Wood made a theatrical entrance to Nottingham Forest’s Mull of Kintyre, soaking in the home support.
Wood started by edging a scrappy first round, gradually settling into a measured southpaw rhythm, controlling distance and picking clean shots. Warrington landed a sharp right hook in round two and drew blood from Wood’s nose in the fifth, but the home favourite maintained composure.
Both fighters had previously lost to Anthony Cacace, raising the stakes for this contest. Yet it was Warrington who appeared more worn, unable to take advantage even when Wood lowered his hands to invite pressure. By the championship rounds, the fight had lost momentum, and the outcome felt inevitable.
By the final bell, Wood’s control throughout the match was evident, leaving Warrington reflecting on his next steps in the sport.
