Josh Warrington declares future ambitions after Leigh Wood defeat as he assures there is 'plenty in the tank'

The battle played out in a cauldron of hostility, with Leeds and Nottingham represented on either side of the Utilita Arena.

Warrington enjoyed almost complete control throughout, until a sudden flurry of devastating blows sent him plummeting to the canvas in round seven.

‘The Leeds Warrior’ was left feeling hard done by, aggrieved by the decision to call time on the bout.

He said: “I'm not asking for people to offer a shoulder to cry on, it is what it is. I've been in with bigger punchers than Leigh. He can dig, obviously he put me over.

"Not the biggest puncher I've been in with. I just feel a little bit hard done by tonight. End of the round, gets on my feet, looking at my old fella with a smile on my face. Turn round at eight and next minute, it's waved off.

"I’m devastated. [We were] cruising the fight, up on scorecards. Switched off for a split second and it’s boxing. I heard the bell go, turned round at eight. I thought we would at least have been given the opportunity to sit down.

"I know the referee’s there for our safety but I’m 14 years deep into my career now. I’ve never really been hurt. It’s my seventh world title fight. I do feel I should have at least been given the opportunity to carry on.

"I know Eddie said ‘badly hurt’. Maybe I got up too quickly but my senses were all with me. I could hear him counting, I heard the bell go. I know we’re not in the States but there are places you can get up at nine and they’ll let it go on.”

Warrington started swiftly, landing some fierce blows and going to work on Wood’s midriff.

His momentum carried through into the second round, during which he connected with a fierce right hook.

Warrington remained on the front foot in round three, backing Wood into the ropes with a flurry of blows on four occasions.

He continued to counter well and land blows in the fourth and fifth rounds, wearing Wood down with explosive bursts of aggression and speed.

Damage began to show on Wood, who began bleeding from his right eye as shots rained down.

Warrington’s intensity showed no sign of fading, as Wood struggled to weather the storm. Round seven, however, did involve a stern warning to Warrington regarding punches to the back of Wood’s head.

The fight was then brought to an abrupt end, as Wood sent Warrington to the floor with a powerful combination of hits.

Warrington’s dominance was left unrewarded, as Wood was confirmed the victor via TKO.

A rematch is something Warrington has set his sights on, with a step up to the super-featherweight class something he is willing to do.

However, if a reunion with Wood is not possible, Warrington would relish the opportunity to fulfil his long-held ambition of a stateside trip.

He said: "I’m 32, I’m not as old as Leigh, but I’ve had some big fights and a long career. It’s coming up to my 14th year. I would have been picking Eddie’s head to take us to America, it’s something that I’ve been wanting to do since I re-signed with him.

"They’re the team to do it, they’re the best in the world. I feel like Eddie [Hearn] may have had other plans with other fighters domestically, but I’d still love to tick that box if I can’t get the rematch.

"I just know that I’ve still got plenty in the tank. I’ve still got enough. There was never a part of me where I thought to myself ‘it’s too far now Josh, let it go’. I never felt like that. I felt I was well in control.”

Before the headline bout, there was a series of impressive displays from Yorkshire fighters.

Terri Harper rounded off the undercard by drawing with Cecilia Braekhus, a result Eddie Hearn was left unimpressed by in his ringside interview post-fight. The affair was a cagey one, although Harper connected with some heavy hooks in the latter stages.

Hearn felt Harper should have been crowned victorious, a sentiment shared by those who travelled from Doncaster to back ‘Belter’.

Hearn said: "I think Terri's too polite. That's an absolute joke. Terri Harper should be unified world champion tonight.

"At the end of the day, that's just incompetence [the judging]. Outrageous. Everybody saw it and everyone is shaking their head here tonight.

"I cannot understand what these judges see sometimes. She won the fight comfortably. It's a shocker."

Two Yorkshire stars collided when Hopey Price of Leeds locked horns with Hull’s Connor Coghill. A war ensued, with furious blows exchanged in a wide open bout. Price recovered from a difficult first few rounds to floor Coghill on four occasions and claim victory.

Rotherham’s Junaid Bostan sealed a stylish victory over Corey McCulloch, forcing a sixth-round stoppage with a flurry of heavy blows. Fighting with a swagger, the 21-year-old took some shots but explosive combinations had his opponent repeatedly reeling.

A fight in the United States now beckons for Bostan, who did his burgeoning reputation no harm.

Koby McNamara ensured Yorkshire got off to a winning start early on, stylishly dispatching of Francisco Rodriguez. The ‘Leeds pocket rocket’ had to battle for his victory but scored a knockdown in the final minute on his way to a deserved victory.