Josh Warrington's future: Leeds Warrior on whether defeat to Anthony Cacace spells end of groundbreaking career

The 33-year-old looked a shell of the fierce competitor that won world titles on two separate occasions, beaten by a unanimous points decision by Anthony Cacace on his step up to the super featherweight division.

A broken Warrington laid down his gloves at the end of the fight in what appeared a farewell to the sport, but in the hours afterwards admitted that he has yet to decide whether he will return to the ring.

“Frustrated. A lot of questioning,” said the Warrior, one of Leeds’s finest sporting sons.

“I have to go away and do a lot of questioning with my team and my family about what I want to do for now and the future.

“Do I end the journey here now or do I come away and carry on?

“If I do, I need to be out sooner. I feel the ring rust has shown right there and that’s taking nothing away from Anto.

“But you know how I fight and that was a shocking fight from me. Slow pace, everything we worked on. Credit to my dad, he got the gameplan down to a tee, we knew what he was going to do and he did exactly that.

“I just didn’t react to the gameplan, I didn’t do what I had been asked to do and what I’ve been working on the last 12 weeks, and it was frustrating.

“Two fights in 24 months at this level, it’s not good and I feel it’s really caught up with me tonight.

“It’s going to be one of them where I go away, I have a chat with my dad and my team and we’ll go from there.”

On the reason why he laid down his gloves, Warrington added: “Initial thoughts were it’s not there, so I put my gloves down.

"Some opportunities are going to go in the wind, so I just wanted to take it all in.

“If I do come back, it might be Leeds, it might be away from home - we’ll see.”

Without taking anything away from Northern Irishman Cacace, Warrington felt he matched the heavier man and defeat owed more to his own shortcomings and inability to rise to the challenge, than anything else.

“It got to 12th round and I didn’t feel like I was blowing, I just wasn’t thinking about what I was doing enough,” said Warrington.

“The sparring with the bigger guys paid dividends because I was expecting a big monster puncher here, then when he got in the ring he wasn’t that big.

“He did catch me with a decent body shot but I was never hurt and didn’t feel out of my depth.

“Anto is a gentleman, he said he didn’t have enough himself and that’s why it’s so frustrating that I didn’t do enough to capitalise, it’s like bloody hell Josh, what’s left here?

“Is it down to not being active or is it time to walk away?”

If he does lay down his gloves for good, then what a career Warrington has had, and what a ride he has taken the sports-mad Leeds public on.

“I never thought I’d get to world level, I just wanted a British title and now looking at what I’ve done - first men’s world champion of Leeds, fought at Leeds United, at Headingley, I’ve made so many Leeds people boxing fans, I’ve had so many great nights,” reflected Warrington.

“I’ve done some great things in the sport. I’m happy, I’ve never really looked back and thought about what I have done, maybe it’s time I do now.”

And in a message to his supporters, he said: “From the very first leisure centre to a Wednesday night at Leeds Arena to every time you’ve packed it out, I’m forever indebted and I hope I’ve put Leeds on the boxing map.

“I appreciate the support, it means a lot. Whether you like me or not I think I’ve brought some entertainment to the sport and it’s been some ride.”