Josh Warrington: Rematch with Leigh Wood in Nottingham as josh warrington weighs retirement questions
Josh Warrington returns to the ring in Nottingham for a second meeting with Leigh Wood as questions about retirement and motivation hang over the Leeds warrior. josh warrington has spoken openly about setting his gloves down after a defeat, coming back three weeks later to retrain, and the difficulty of leaving boxing behind.
Josh Warrington ringwalk and atmosphere
It is a football-themed night at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. Leigh Wood shadow-boxed to 'Mull of Kintyre' — the song Nottingham Forest walk out to at the City Ground — wearing sunglasses, while 'So Strong' by Labi Siffre followed for his walk to the ring. Josh Warrington stood at the top of the ramp to the familiar tune of 'marching on together' before the familiar burst into the Kaiser Chiefs' 'I Predict a Riot'. Warrington sprinted to the ring, stood on the apron and looked out at a crowd, and observers asked: could this be the final time we are treated to a Warrington ringwalk? Photographer Kal Sajad worked at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham that night.
Undercard results and radio note
Use 'listen live' button to follow undercard. On the card, Sandy Ryan became a two-weight world champion by beating Karla Ramos Zamora to claim the WBC light-welterweight belt. Bilal Fawaz upset Ishmael Davis to win the British and Commonwealth light-middleweight belt. Other undercard names included Bobbie Jackson and Keifer MacDonald.
What happened in 2023 and 2024
Wood stopped Warrington in their 2023 bout, winning by knockout. When Josh Warrington lost to Anthony Cacace in September 2024 he placed his gloves in the centre of the ring, then walked around and fist-bumped reporters at ringside — his way of saying he was done. The sequence then changed again: three weeks after setting his gloves down he was back in the gym, and he returned in April 2025 with a comfortable points win over India's Asad Asif Khan.
Camp, family and the retirement question
Warrington has reflected on the pull of the sport. "It's hard to explain to people what it is, what makes you want to go back to it, " he said on the eve of the rematch with Leigh Wood in Nottingham. "You're getting hurt and punched in the head and putting your body through so much. But I don't know, mate. It's a drug. " He described the struggle of stepping away: "In my head I was done, " he said. "I was a bit lost because I've always had an idea of what I want to do after boxing, but where do you start?"
Warrington noted business interests outside the sport but said he was not ready to leave the structure and routine that boxing provides. "You're always looking three, four months ahead every year and all of a sudden... BAM! That stops, " he explained. "That routine just goes out window, the diet goes out the window, the schedule goes out the window, and you just become 'a civvy. '" His father and trainer, Sean O'Hagan, has been with him through highs and lows. "The entire camp, to be honest, it's been like turning the clock back five years, " O'Hagan said, while also admitting that's what he was supposed to say, and expressing the belief that Warrington still has one or two more special nights in him.
Odds, predictions and fight context
The rematch is scheduled for Saturday, February 21. In Nottingham the undercard starts at 7pm with the main-event ring walk listed from 10. 30pm at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham; there was also scheduling listed for a separate card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the same date, with a start at 11pm GMT and a main-event ring walk at 4. 50am. Betting markets expect a finish: one listed market gives 'Leigh Wood v Josh Warrington not to go the distance' at 3pts Evs. Pundits pointed to both fighters being in the twilight of their careers — Wood at 37 has fought only once since beating Warrington in 2023 and lasted only nine rounds in his most recent contest against Anthony Cacace, while Warrington, at 35, has lost three of his last four bouts, those defeats coming to Leigh Wood, Luis Alberto Lopez and Anthony Cacace. Observers noted Wood's power as a major threat if he lands, while others suggested Warrington could hurt an inactive 37-year-old Wood.
Legacy, highs and reactions
Warrington's place in Leeds boxing was highlighted: fifteen years as a professional and a two-time world champion who carried the city of Leeds through memorable nights, including a title win over Lee Selby at Elland Road and defences against Carl Frampton and Kid Galahad. He said: "It's exciting to be part of something that could be spoken about for years to come... You're making history. " He added self-deprecatingly: "Blowing smoke up on my own backside! But this is why you're part of it. " Prominent industry reaction included Eddie Hearn calling a "battle" with Dana White and saying Conor Benn's exit is a "dagger in the heart. "
The question for the night in Nottingham is straightforward: was this a calculated comeback or an emotional one? Organisers and camps expect to find out over the course of the rematch.
