Leigh Wood v Josh Warrington: 'Leeds Warrior' has opportunity to rewrite his story in Sheffield

Fight fans are fickle in nature and the brutal truth is that boxers can be torn down as quickly as they are built up.

There were few superlatives not thrown in Warrington’s direction across the course of his 30-match winning streak.

For a decade, the ‘Leeds Warrior’ emerged victorious from every challenge he took on.

With each win, his fanbase grew and his hometown wins will live long in the memory.

However, he eventually hit stumbling blocks and it is no longer Warrington’s wins that spring to mind for many when discussing him in 2023.

Fair or not, recency bias is real. A relatively uninspiring final few fights would be discussed with prominence in a reflection of his career, taking time and attention away from his high points.

Against Wood, Warrington can steer the narrative back into a more positive direction. A fairer direction, many would argue.

He shares many similarities with his opponent, a formidable fighter three years Warrington’s senior.

Both have passionate hometown backings and a penchant for shining on the big stage.

They have also both suffered setbacks in recent years, with the experience of losing to Mauricio Lara something they share.

Boxing promotions rarely shy away from buzzwords when building towards fights but the reality is that this event is a marketer’s dream.

The narratives write themselves, Warrington and Wood do not need to fling chairs at weigh-ins to create demand for tickets.

Talk of perfectly matched styles and the possibility of a knock-out are only fuelling excitement.

Speaking at the final pre-fight press conference, Warrington said: “My knockouts have come at championship level, the stoppages have come when it’s mattered the most. I know I can dig.

"It was 15 fights before I got my first stoppage, I didn’t get any coming up against journeymen and people were maybe right to think that I wasn’t a puncher but that was a bit down to my style, not sitting down on the punches.

"But I have got the KOs and stoppages when it has mattered. I am not a one-punch KO guy, an Edwin Valero type, but I know I have enough to hurt you and I don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, I know I have enough to hurt Leigh and I am very confident that he doesn’t hear the final bell.

“I always visualise different moments and scenarios, I just have a really strong feeling that this one doesn’t see the final bell.

"It’s alright having power, but being able to take a shot is another thing, so it’s something that’s stuck with me through this camp that this is going to end early and I will be once, twice, three times a champion.”

Warrington will not be the only fighter flying the flag for Yorkshire on a bill stacked with talent.

Doncaster’s Terri Harper will finally get the chance to lock horns with boxing’s ‘First Lady’ Cecilia Brækhus, after an illness for the latter postponed their fight earlier this year.

Utilita Arena was the scene of Harper’s only career defeat, a TKO loss to Alycia Baumgardner in November 2021.

However, it will provoke mixed emotions considering it was also the venue in which Harper dispatched of Feriche Mashauri and Eva Wahlström.

Speaking ahead of her return to action, Harper said: "I’m excited to be back out there at Sheffield Arena, the arena where I’ve had the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows of my career. I feel Saturday night, it’s made for me.

"I’ve been under the radar for a couple of fights, just rebuilding and this is where I’m going to get back up there and have people talk about me.”

Warrington’s fellow Leeds star Hopey Price will also be back in action, going up against Connor Coghill in a final eliminator for the British featherweight title.

Price is adamant the fight is a stepping stone rather than a step-up, despite the undefeated record possessed by Coghill.

"An undefeated fighter in front of me, he’s 14-0 but who’s he boxed in 14 fights? I believe I’ve been in with far better opposition and for me this is no step up, just a stepping stone to get me that British title and you’ll see the difference in levels come Saturday night. He’s in serious trouble.”

Further down the card, opportunity beckons for Rotherham’s rising star Junaid Bostan.

Unashamedly self-assured and charismatic, Bostan cut a relaxed figure at the final press conference before his clash with Corey McCulloch.

Addressing Eddie Hearn, he said: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get Eddie. It was only this time last year I was in the same room giving you stick because you weren’t signing me.

"Now, a year on, I’m begging you to get me higher up on the card, so life’s good. I’m performing well, I’ve been performing in the gym, I’ve had a good camp, feeling good, feeling well.”

There will also be even more Leeds representation when Koby McNamara battles Fran Rodriguez.

With an array of Yorkshire’s most exciting prospects in action, the night promises to be a thrilling one.

However, it will be Warrington that defines the evening for the county when he looks to put a frustrating few years firmly behind him in emphatic style.

Tickets for the event are still available online and the bouts can also be watched live on DAZN.