Josh Warrington leaving no stone unturned in effort to fight Carl Frampton

Leeds star Warrington became his city’s first-ever professional world boxing champion on Saturday evening when defeating defending champion Lee Selby in an Elland Road thriller to become IBF featherweight champion of the world.

The absorbing contest was witnessed ringside by Northern Ireland’s interim WBO belt holder Carl Frampton who is already booked to fight at his country’s national stadium, Windsor Park, on Saturday, August 18.

An opponent for the Belfast-born fighter has yet to be confirmed and both Warrington and his team indicated in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s victory that a bout with Frampton in August would be too soon after the energy-sapping defeat of Selby. A first defence of his IBF crown in either September or October at First Direct Arena still seems more likely but Warrington refused to rule out the possibility of a summer clash with Frampton on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s a fight, it’s a big fight and it’s an appetising fight,” said Warrington, asked on Sky Sports News about the possibility of fighting Frampton this August.

“But I’ve got to sit down with Frank Warren and my manager Steve Wood and look at the other options.

“I know that Carl has got a date some time in August and we will see if we can make it possible.”

Initially speaking on a Box Nation podcast on Tuesday, Warrington was asked when he saw himself returning to the ring and said: “If nothing comes of Windsor Park then I think we will probably look to possibly be back at Leeds Arena in September/October time.”

Asked about the potential August date with Frampton, he had admitted: “It will be too soon, especially with the training camp I have just had.

“There’s been a lot of mental stuff going into this camp as well as the training and preparing the body, there’s been a lot of media and obviously a massive build up in filling a stadium fight out and that wares you out mentally.

“You had all that carry on and then my baby girl came into this world and I didn’t have two minutes to just enjoy a bit of time with them.

“It would be nice to have a week or two off, I think my body and my mind need it, just to be a normal human being, and then get back in.

“By that time then I imagine Frank will have probably been looking to have sorted an opponent out for Carl but it’s a fight I have said that I want down the line.

“I said to Carl when I was down in London a few weeks ago when we were all together that I would happily fight him, so we will see what happens.”

A crowd in excess of 20,000 descended on Elland Road to see Warrington crowned world champion on Saturday evening and Frampton himself also has a strong fan base.

But Windsor Park has a capacity of just 22,000 and Warrington believes it would make more logical sense to take on the Northern Irish fighter at Elland Road after the 2018/19 football season next summer.

“We had 20,000 there at the weekend and that was just my fans alone,” said Leeds’ new world champion.

“I know that Windsor Park holds 20,000 and he always sells well.

“And I know that if I was to box away, especially now with a world title on my back, I know there would be a load of fans travelling with me.

“In a logical sense, for the big numbers you’d go back to Elland Road but it’s all about what Frank and Steve come up with and go from there.”

Warrington has also revealed that the bad blood between himself and Selby looks set to continue with the Welsh fighter not wishing to speak to his conqueror in the aftermath of Saturday’s victory.

Selby and Warrington have been locked in a war of words for the past two years but Warrington hoped the animosity had been nipped in the bud through Saturday’s bout.

“I’m a little disappointed to be honest,” said Warrington.

“He was saying in the press conference that if he has to lose he would be a proud man and that he’d take it on the chin and I believed him.

“We had a brief word after the fight, literally in the ring, when the decision was announced. I said ‘listen, good fight, and I said I always respected you with your achievements’.

“I said we have had 12 rounds and I hope to see you in the dressing rooms after but, when I asked to go in, he didn’t want to see me.”