Josh Warrington had promised that he had to win this fight to keep his professional career alive. In the end not even he, Mauricio Lara or any of the 20,000 supporters inside Headingley Stadium could have envisaged what would happen on a raucous, but ultimately disappointing night in Leeds as the fight was ended by an accidental clash of heads.
This night had been littered with encouragement and optimism for Warrington’s career moving forwards, not least given the fact he had shown almost unprecedented determination and focus all week in the run-up to this featherweight rematch with Lara in his hometown. “I’m absolutely gutted,” Warrington said afterwards in what was perhaps a sentiment shared by everyone inside a stadium that has seen so many great sporting moments over the years.
Warrington would have been hopeful he could have not only added his name to that list, but gained redemption for the sole defeat in his professional career which was inflicted upon him by Lara last year. The opening round offered plentyof evidence that could be the case, and the 30-year-old could potentially insert his name into the world title picture once again moving out of this fight with the Mexican.
But in the end, it was an innocuous clash of heads midway through the second round which proved to be this night’s decisive act. As Warrington pointed out post-match, it was likely the clash of styles these two fighters brought to the table that led to the incident which caused a monstrous cut above Lara’s right eye. Had it happened just a couple of rounds later, Warrington would have had his redemption, and the Leeds crowd would have had their desired outcome.
Unfortunately, the rules dictate that there can be no decision if the fight does not run four rounds and, in reality, there was absolutely no way Lara could continue. What happens next? Warrington’s insatiable desire to wipe this particular slate clean will likely lead towards a third instalment of this rivalry. But that will not overcome the undoubted disappointment everyone shared here as the bell rung far too prematurely.
The frustration for Warrington and his huge army of supporters here in Leeds will have been that this fight was bubbling into something special, even after just a solitary round. Warrington took the early advantage after the opening bell and was the clear winner of the first round. At that stage, as he admitted post-fight, the notion of him being knocked out by Lara last February felt a million miles away.
With the crowd behind him, and Warrington showing such steel and grit – perhaps more than he ever has – it was difficult not to be confident he could finally lay the demons of his defeat to the Mexican last year to rest. But when the two clashed heads midway through the second round, it was clear within seconds that Lara would struggle to continue. His corner fought gamely with the limited time they had to repair the cut inflicted upon him, but it would all be in vain.
Unfortunately, a night that had promised so much for Warrington and the people of Leeds was to end in disappointment. There will be other fights for the 30-year-old, and other nights to savour here at Headingley. Eddie Hearn confirmed as much after the fight, with a desire to get Warrington back in the ring as soon as possible high on his agenda. But this night, which was billed as the ultimate redemption, was simply nothing other than frustration by the time the final bell rang.
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Elsewhere, there were no dramas for the two biggest stars on the undercard, as both Katie Taylor and Conor Benn retained their unbeaten professional records. Taylor was given a stern examination by Jennifer Han but underlined her status as the best lightweight on the planet with a unanimous decision against the American. Benn, meanwhile, also remained undefeated with a victory against the American, Adrian Granados.
