My destiny is back in my own hands insists Leeds Warrior Josh Warrington

However, a surprise chance to win the IBF title for a second time has put “destiny back in his hands.”

In February last year, Warrington stepped between the ropes for the first time since October 2019 as he took on unheralded Mexican Mauricio Lara behind closed doors.

The 31-year-old was the heavy favourite and was expected to win the bout and move onto more featherweight title contests, having vacated his IBF belt in order to open up avenues for other world titles.

However, things did not go to plan as Lara handed Warrington his first career defeat with a brutal knockout in the ninth round.

He returned to face Lara at Headingley Stadium in September but that contest was ruled a technical draw after two rounds as the Mexican was unable to continue due to a severe cut over his left eye. It left many – and possibly Warrington himself – wondering what would be next.

The IBF title would have been far from his mind, with his old nemesis Kid Galahad, then the holder of the title, preparing for a defence against Kiko Martinez.

That was a fight in which the Ingle Gym-trained Galahad was largely expected to win, but the veteran Martinez had other ideas as he knocked out the Sheffield-based boxer inside six rounds.

Martinez’s victory over Galahad, as well as Warrington’s bouts with Lara, means the Leeds Warrior will not underestimate the Spaniard when they do battle at the Leeds Arena on March 26.

But, of his hopes of becoming a unified champion, Warrington said: “It disappeared from me when I got chinned by Lara. It feels now like destiny has come back into my hands. It is up to me to make it happen.

“I have got to start by beating Kiko Martinez.

“After, it will be interesting to fight Emmanuel Navarrete [WBO champion] or Santa Cruz [WBA super champion] if they are still about.

“You have [WBA regular champion] Leigh Wood and Mick Conlan fighting over here shortly. There are options all over. Maybe some of those opponents didn’t fancy the fight with me before but now they might think I can be beat, so they might fancy their chances.”

Warrington and Martinez have met before.

“It is funny how this sport works. I boxed Kiko five years ago and at the time people said he was finished, he was past it,” as Warrington won by a majority decision to win the WBC international title at the Leeds Arena in May 2017.

“But look at what he has gone on to do since. I gave up that belt and a year later I have a chance to win it back.”

Of his previous fight with Martinez, he continued: “It was a tough fight. A few things played into that; I had just left Matchroom and signed with Frank Warren, I had just come back from 12 months out and then I damaged my hand in the third round.

“I felt comfortable until that third round but from then it was an uphill struggle. I had done enough to win but I knew I had been in a tough fight by the time it had finished.”

Martinez will turn 36 on March 7 and has been involved in 55 contests during a career that has seen him become a world champion at two different weights. Warrington warned: “He is far from finished, he is a dangerous guy. He took the opportunity [against Galahad] and he took it well.”

Although his immediate focus is to become a world champion again, Warrington admits that the possibility of a rematch with Lara is never off the table for him. Lara is the only man Warrington has yet to beat during a 32-fight professional career and that is something that slightly irritates him.

“It is never closed for me,” he admitted.

“My manager and Eddie Hearn have told me to let it go, that I have already put it to bed by getting straight back into a rematch.

“For me, on my record I still want to see a ‘W’ against his name. I want to have beaten every man I have been in there with.

“Lara is the only one who has put a loss there. It is just one for my record. I just don’t feel a Josh Warrington who is switched on gets beat by that guy.

“I want to put that one to bed but we will see what happens.”

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