Leigh Wood's Stellar Performance Caps Points Victory, Paving the Way for Josh Warrington's Career Crossroads

LEIGH WOOD ended his Josh Warrington war – and perhaps his rival’s career – with a comprehensive points win

In the original October 2023 clash, Wood was taking a pasting on the cards until a sensational seventh round stoppage that Warrington – who somehow rose to his feet after a brutal beating – is still fuming with.

Leigh Wood won bragging rights in his rematch against Josh WarringtonCredit: Getty The ace put on a classy display as he made it two wins from two against his rivalCredit: PA

But in Saturday’s overdue rerun in Wood’s Nottingham home, it was 37-year-old Forest fan who looked the younger and fresher man, as he dominated Leeds’ 35-year-old hero for almost every round.

Both two-time featherweight world champions admitted in the bad-blood build-up that the loser would have to seriously consider retirement.

And that looks a certainty for father-of-three Warrington, who has overachieved magnificently in his career, which included an IBF world title win at his beloved Elland Road.

Wood was utterly outboxed in the opening six rounds of the first encounter, until a brilliant flurry of punches saved him in the seventh and left Warrington heartbroken.

But this script was flipped completely as the Gedling man boxed perfectly on the front and back foot – despite a bloody nose from the first round.

And Warrington – for all of his working-class grit and determination – just could not tap into his old ferocious self.

The three ringside judges scored the super-featherweight clash: 119-109, 119-110 and 117-111.

And Warrington nodded and clapped in decent acceptance of his fate after an honourable career.

Usually down-to-earth Wood did his ring walk with a pair of flashy wrap-around sunglasses on.

Switch-hitter would start in the southpaw stance, driving left-backhands into Warrington’s tattooed torso.

Pressure fighter Warrington struggled to get going in the opener and let the Gedling banger dictate the pace and distance to secure the first stanza.

Wood started the second with a bloody nose and was then clipped by a left hook.

But the hometown hero was calm and confident enough to do an Ali-shuffle in the second session, even with his cheeks and lips smeared with blood.

Wood was playing a high-risk game, boxing with his heavy hands down by his waist while Warrington marched forward with his guard high and tight.

Wood looked every inch a two-time world champion in the third, scoring with dozens of long looping shots from range, making Warrington look heavy-footed and clumsy.

And Wood celebrated the end of the fourth with a fist bump – before the bell even went – after dominating Warrington on the front and back foot.

Neverending limbs and a fluid style earned Wood the fifth too, though Warrington landed a couple of grazing hooks when he launched himself in.

Warrington’s inability to catch fire meant the early choruses of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” died out by the sixth round, as Wood even found time to showboat with a slick defensive duck and pivot.

Warrington’s father-and-trainer Sean begged his boy to “show me something” in the seventh. And he did clip Wood with a couple of decent hooks.

Warrington slashed and scythed in Wood’s direction but there were moments in the eighth when the Forest fan made it look like a sparring session.

A couple of stiff jabs gave Warrington a brighter start to the ninth but it was short lived as Wood continued to control the action and bank the rapidly dwindling rounds.

The tenth slipped by with little to report other than another Wood round, the Warrington fans at ringside knew they were watching a faded version of their once all-action hero who could not flick the switch in the final two rounds either.