Josh Warrington claims Mauricio Lara spat at him as rivals are separated by security at ringside following the Mexican's win over Leigh Wood

Lara was behind on all three scorecards after six rounds but produced a devastating left hand to knock down the WBA featherweight champion in the seventh. Wood stumbled to his feet but just before the referee was about to let the bout resume, his trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel.

Wood had beaten the count but was still wobbling with Davison concerned about the further punishment which could have come his way from hard-hitting Lara. The Mexican has now beaten Josh Warrington and Wood in the UK at the age of just 24.

He shocked the boxing world with a ninth-round knockout of Warrington in February 2021 before a rematch at Headingley the following September was ruled a technical draw after a nasty cut above Lara’s eye meant he couldn’t continue after two rounds.

The bad blood between the pair has never faded with Lara claiming he wants to end Warrington’s career while the Leeds Warrior has insisted the Mexican is not at world-champion level. A trilogy fight is on the table and it seems the duo are keen to meet in the ring after almost coming to blows at ringside in Nottingham.

Warrington was part of the DAZN broadcast team and claimed Lara spat at him from the ring after his victory.

“As soon as the fight’s been waved off, he looks over to me. He sees me. I actually thought he was looking over at times in between the fight. I got off my stool, his head goes forward, he spat on me. You know, I can have a little bit of pantomime – shouting and screaming – but somebody spitting on me? I’m not having it,” said Warrington.

“He seems to have got this thing over the last few years that since the second fight I disrespected his family, disrespected his dad and this, that, and the other. I didn’t even know that his dad was part of his training team. But it’s got to the stage now that he wants to finish my career – I’m more than happy to let him have that opportunity.”

Wood does have a rematch clause against Lara. The Nottingham native had been keen for a domestic fight with Warrington at the City Ground. Warrington and Lara are both promoted by Matchroom which would make a third fight a stronger possibility.

Warrington’s last outing saw him lose his IBF featherweight title to Luis Alberto Lopez at the Leeds Arena in December. It remains to be seen if Wood will activate his rematch with Lara open to returning to the UK for a rematch.