Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Leeds Live
Leeds Live
Sport
Joe Mewis

Josh Warrington seals third title defence as Sofiane Takoucht dispatched in second round stoppage

Josh Warrington secured a third defence of his IBF World Featherweight Title in emphatic fashion in front of a raucous Leeds crowd on Saturday evening.

The Leeds Warrior saw off mandatory challenger Sofiane Takoucht with ease, as a second round barrage of punches gave the referee no choice but to stop the fight before the end of the second round.

Accompanied for the ring walk by Leeds United star Pablo Hernandez, Warrington made a comfortable start against the unfancied Frenchman before stepping up a gear in round two.

A left and right to Takoucht's body saw the Frenchman touch the canvas before getting straight back up, but this would only prove to be a temporary stay of execution.

Another combination saw Takoucht go down again and once he got back up, Warrington could smell blood and finished the bout off with a flurry of punches as the referee stepped in. 

That means the 28-year-old keeps hold of the world title that he won against Lee Selby at Elland Road last year, adding Takoucht to this list of felled contenders following his wins over Carl Frampton and Kid Galahad.

Warrington will now be hoping for a unification bout, which could come against Shakur Stevenson, who faces Joet Gonzalez in a fortnight for the vacant WBO featherweight belt, with Olympic 2016 silver medalist Stevenson insisting that he wants to face Warrington, should he get past his countryman Gonzalez.

“I want to move up, but I want to fight Josh Warrington," he said. "I want to unify. If I can unify with Josh Warrington, I’m going to stay at 126 and we’re going to fight.”

“I’ll go to England if I’ve got to. I don’t mind. I wanna fight Josh Warrington."

But for now, Warrington can rest easy knowing that he has another title defence under his belt, having sent home a packed crowd happy in his hometown.

Visit our  dedicated Leeds United page  for the latest news, views and analysis from Elland Road.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
3 Dangerous Foods You Should Never Feed Your Cat
1. Onions and Garlic Onions, garlic, chives, leeks, and other members of the allium family are extremely toxic to cats. Even very small amounts whether raw cooked dried or powdered can damage your cat’s red blood cells and potentially lead to a dangerous condition called anemia. The scary part? Toxicity…
Times Pets
Times Pets
Why Are Kristen Bell's Nobody Wants This Co-Star And More Having To Defend Her Marriage To Dax Shepard?
There's a lot to this situation.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Luci4 Cause of Death Clouded in Suspicion With Foul Play Angle Explored by LA Police
The sudden death of rapper Luci4 has led to an investigation into possible foul play, leaving fans and family searching for answers.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
New Spider-Man: Brand New Day Rumor Suggests One Villain Will Be Important For The Web-Slinger’s Future Films
Still. No. Trailer.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Reality check: America’s Next Top Model docuseries never apologises for abuse of contestants
If you’ve spent much time on the internet, you probably know how to yell “I was rooting for you!” The clip from “Cycle 4” (iykyk) of America’s Next Top Model which aired in 2005 went uncontrollably viral.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Manhattan’s haunted museum brought in a ghost hunter, but the eerie recordings he made defy all logic
He spent 100 nights inside.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play