Warrington batters, stops Martinez in 7th round to regain featherweight title

Mar 27, 2022

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The past 13 months have been rough for Josh Warrington, who went from being widely considered the No.1 featherweight in the world to a giant question mark after a brutal knockout loss. But now he is back in business in a big way after reclaiming the IBF title on Saturday.

With a raucous hometown crowd cheering his every move, as his fans have done for years, Warrington laid a beating on Kiko Martinez en route to a seventh-round knockout to take his 126-pound world title in the main event of the Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN at the sold-out First Direct Arena in Leeds, England.

“Champion again! Champion again,” Warrington chanted to the crowd, which he said he was fighting for just as much as for himself and his family.

In 2017, Warrington edged Martinez by majority decision in a regional title bout and two fights later would go on to win a world title from Lee Selby and make three defenses.

But then he gave up the belt rather than face a mandatory rematch with Kid Galahad, whom he had edged in a title defense, and instead took on obscure Mauricio Lara, who pummeled him and stopped him in the ninth round in February 2021. An immediate rematch in September ended in a second-round technical draw due to a severe clash of heads that left Lara cut and unable to continue.

Meantime, former junior featherweight titlist Martinez scored a huge upset sixth-round knockout of Galahad in November to win the belt Galahad had won after Warrington vacated.

Martinez traveled to Warrington’s hometown for his first defense but left a beaten, bloodied and battered former titlist.

“This is a defining night to become a two-time world champion,” Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said of Warrington. “When he lost to Mauricio Lara one of the reasons he lost was because he didn’t have this crowd. It was a different fight to be behind closed doors (because of the coronavirus pandemic). He came out tonight, made history. He became a two-time world champion and, honestly, he couldn’t do it in front of better people.

“The reason he got an opportunity to fight for the world title again is because of this (ticket-buying) crowd. Simple as that. Without them, he wouldn’t have this opportunity.”

The 31-year-old Warrington (31-1-1, 8 KOs) looked like he might get the early knockout when he pinned Martinez (43-11-2, 30 KOs), 36, of Spain, along the ropes in the first round and began to tee off on him. He landed a big overhand right that dropped Martinez and also cut him over the left eye, apparently with an accidental head butt.

Martinez was in huge trouble but bought some survival time when he nailed Warrington on the break and took a stern warning for the foul from referee Marcus McDonnell.

The reprieve did little because Warrington continued to hammer Martinez round after round. He also liberally used his head and was warned by McDonnell for using his shoulder repeatedly to shove Martinez.

Nonetheless, Warrington was physically superior and constantly bulled the smaller Martinez to the ropes and let his hands go. He landed many powerful right hands and it was surprising to see Martinez take so many clean shots without going down again.

Martinez got in a few solid right hands but never enough to deter Warrington, who was accurate with his combinations as blood streamed down Martinez’s face from the cut.

According to CompuBox, Warrington landed 155 of 386 punches (40 percent), including 47 percent of his power shots, and Martinez landed just 65 of 346 (19 percent). Warrington also easily outlanded Martinez in every round.

In the seventh round, Warrington wobbled Martinez with a series of right hands before Martinez unleashed his best right hand that landed clean. Warrington was briefly stunned but then forced Martinez to the ropes yet again and rained in shots. A right hand hurt Martinez during the blitz and McDonnell eventually had no choice but to step in and wave it off at 2 minutes, 12 seconds, sending the crowd and Warrington into jubilation.

Ringside for the fight was WBA “regular” titleholder Leigh Wood (26-2, 16 KOs), 33, England, who retained the belt in his first defense in a dramatic 12th-round knockout of Michael Conlan on March 12.

A showdown between Warrington and Wood is a natural, although Wood is expected to first be ordered to face “super” titleholder Leo Santa Cruz.

A fight with Warrington is something that would interest Wood but he declined to discuss it when asked about it after Warrington’s victory.

“This is his night,” Wood said. “Let him enjoy his night and then we’ll talk about what’s next.”

Warrington also was not in the mood to talk about his next fight. He had other things on his mind for the immediate future.

“I tell you what I want next,” Warrington said. “I wouldn’t mind a bread pudding, a cheeseburger, a pint with all these fans. I wouldn’t mind going home and having sex with the Mrs. because it’s been about four weeks.”

Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

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Warrington batters, stops Martinez in 7th round to regain featherweight title

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