Josh Warrington vs. Xu Can - Spring 2021

[Ruthless-RKO]

The aforementioned Hearn was hosting an Instagram Live session with the former British, Commonwealth and European champion on Monday afternoon and he revealed that terms have been agreed for the showdown, with a date and venue expected to be confirmed when boxing returns from the COVID-19 suspension.

“We have agreed terms with Can Xu to have that big fight for [Josh] in the summer,” Hearn said on social media.

Xu is promoted by Golden Boy who are tied in with broadcaster DAZN in the US –– the same company Hearn is under contract with in the States –– and holds the WBA ‘regular’ belt, but Hearn suggested that the Super championship, along with the vacant Ring Magazine belt, will be at stake when the pair meet.

The Emerald Headingley Stadium, the home of Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club, is likely to be the venue and Boxing Scene understands that the clash was originally scheduled to take place on May 30.

“You know, as soon as the first bell goes, Xu Can is flying out to the centre of the ring, sitting down on his punches and throwing hell for leather,” said Warrington in response to the news. “We want entertaining fights, we want to be part of memorable fights and a massive stadium fight with a mad atmosphere will help to produce exactly that.”

Source

[Ruthless-RKO]

Xu Can do it

[margaret thatcher]

Won't ever happen bruh. Josh has to fight Barry LOL. Barry is king. Ingles Pringles for life!! Fast Car Eddie #1 single!! shiny bald heads and creepy pms!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Won't ever happen bruh. Josh has to fight Barry LOL. Barry is king. Ingles Pringles for life!! Fast Car Eddie #1 single!! shiny bald heads and creepy pms!

Mandatory hasn't been forced yet. Also, unification takes priority.

[mickey1975]

Headingley is no good. Need it at the arena.

[Ruthless-RKO]

IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington expects a full blown war when he collides in the ring with WBA "regular" champion Xu Can.

Warrington feels the contest against Can will be more exciting than battles against WBO champion Shakur Stevenson or WBC champ Gary Russell Jr.

“It will be a barnstormer,” said Warrington to the Yorkshire Post.

“When you look at the other champions in the division, Gary Russell and Shakour Stevenson, you know the build up is going to be entertaining. But is the fight going to be entertaining because, Shakur Stevenson likes to move on the backfoot and Gary Russell is known for his speed but doesn’t work too much. He chooses when he wants to do his work.

“But with Can Xu, you know as soon as that first bell goes, he is running to the centre of the ring and going hell for leather and obviously I like to do that as well.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Josh Warrington Ready To Face Xu Can Behind Closed Doors

IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington is open to the possibility of fighting in a closed-doors setting, as the coronavirus pandemic rages forward and there is no concrete date on when fans will be allowed to attend events.

Warrington was on track to fight WBA "regular" champion Xu Can, but their fight was put off when the pandemic broke out.

He's been out of the ring since November 2019, when he picked up an easy two round knockout victory over Sofiane Takoucht.

Warrington is still very much willing to face Xu in the coming months.

“I understand that he [Xu] still wants to fight. We are getting to the stage now where we want to get that pen to paper, find a venue and get the logistics right,” said Warrington to the Yorkshire Post.

“I would have said a few months ago to wait for the fans to come back but now we are into August and in a few months it will be a year since I last boxed. You can’t really say that was much of a fight either. I had a full camp but it was only a round and a half in the ring; it is not the most that you want when you are trying to keep some momentum going.

“There is always a risk if you push it back. I am at the stage now that if there is an opportunity there to have the fight and it means we need to go behind closed doors, or have a percentage of the crowd there, then I would be willing to do that.”

And Warrington is not worried about ring rust when he enters the ring against a very serious opponent.

“I believe that ring rust, a lot of the time, happens early in your career. I am 30 fights deep now and I have had 14 or 15 12-round fights, so I don’t think a warm-up fight could prepare me for what I would be going into with Can Xu," Warrington said.

“Secondly, I am in a position where I don’t have the luxury to consider warm-up fights because I have got mandatory fights and they don’t want to be waiting around. I would be exempt with a unification fight but not a warm-up fight.”

[Frostieballs]

Xu Can do it

Yes Xu Can

[Delta Jay]

It’s a great one on paper...

[bigjack]

Xu Can do it

Xu better believe it

[Boxing Prospect]

...got fans back in China recently...think Warrington fancies a trip over there to have a crowd?

[Black Sam Bellamy]

Another one of Hearns 'terms agreed'. Let's see it then. Date & venue.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Another one of Hearns 'terms agreed'. Let's see it then. Date & venue.

TBH, the that was March, before all the restrictions where put in place.. Probably would have happened by now

[margaret thatcher]

Xu Can do it

Xu better believe it

Who can? XU CAN!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Josh Warrington vs. Xu Can Could Still Happen in December

Josh Warrington’s featherweight unification fight with Xu Can could still go ahead in December, with Eddie Hearn confident that there will be three belts on the line for the match.

December 5 is presently the target date for a Warrington-Xu fight, although that will likely change if Tyson Fury’s fight that day is confirmed.

Warrington, the IBF champion, had been due to face Xu, the WBA’s regular champion, in Leeds in June before the coronavirus lockdown.

It is expected that Xu, from China, will be upgraded to the WBA’s “super champion” once Leo Santa Cruz steps in the ring with Gervonta Davis on October 31, while Hearn also believes that The Ring magazine belt will also be at stake. It is hoped that a crowd of some sorts will be able to attend.

“We are talking to Golden Boy [Xu’s promoters} about the Can Xu fight, which was the fight we had already agreed pre-pandemic,” Hearn said. “That’s the one we want to make and we think we can get the Ring magazine belt for it as well.

“It is difficult to get that fight made without fans but we are going to have to find a way to do it.”

Hearn will be promoting four shows at the SSE Arena, Wembley, starting with the October 31 Oleksandr Usyk-Dereck Chisora fight. While Matchroom is preparing for those shows to be behind-closed-doors, using such a large venue (it has a 12,500 capacity) opens up the possibility for a socially-distanced crowd.

“I’m fine with us behind behind-closed-doors at the moment, but we have an obligation to push for crowds coming back,” Hearn said. “The only way we are going to get crowds back is to start small and grow. But at the same time there is a lot less risk with doing it without fans at the moment. Part of me feels, ‘let’s just get these fights done right now and deliver for the fighters’.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Warrington is #1 and Can is #3 with The Ring Magazine..

I know usually it's anyone in the top 5 fighting each other, they have a strong case..

Don't know how or why Can is ranked so high.

I feel this is a weak division.

Russell Jr. is still fighting once a year.. He's ranked #2.

With TBRB.. LSC is still ranked.

1. Leo Santa Cruz
2. Josh Warrington
3. Gary Russell Jr.
4. Can Xu

[maverick23]

I think Hearn was looking to do this December 5th (with BIlly Joe going Nov 28th) but he’s been outplayed by FW for change with FW doing Joyce/Dubois on Nov 28th and now looks like Fury and Yarde on Dec 5th.

Hearn won’t want to go head to head with either of them but probably would go Dec 5th if it was just Yarde.

Not good for AJ potentially going a week after Fury (when it was looking like he’d be a week earlier) either so Eddie’s been out manoeuvred here.

[PredatorHayds]

Warrington is #1 and Can is #3 with The Ring Magazine..

I know usually it's anyone in the top 5 fighting each other, they have a strong case..

Don't know how or why Can is ranked so high.

I feel this is a weak division.

Russell Jr. is still fighting once a year.. He's ranked #2.

With TBRB.. LSC is still ranked.

1. Leo Santa Cruz
2. Josh Warrington
3. Gary Russell Jr.
4. Can Xu

I’d guess Navarrete will be Top 5 after last weekend.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Warrington is #1 and Can is #3 with The Ring Magazine..

I know usually it's anyone in the top 5 fighting each other, they have a strong case..

Don't know how or why Can is ranked so high.

I feel this is a weak division.

Russell Jr. is still fighting once a year.. He's ranked #2.

With TBRB.. LSC is still ranked.

1. Leo Santa Cruz
2. Josh Warrington
3. Gary Russell Jr.
4. Can Xu

I’d guess Navarrete will be Top 5 after last weekend.

He actually is 5 on one of them, not sure on the other.

[Boxing Prospect]

I’ve never rated Warrington. But then I never heard of the other guy. So in the spirit of Carl Froch I’m going for Warrington

Give the other guy a watch, he's probably the only guy in the division busier than Warrington

[Ruthless-RKO]

They may as well put this on Saunders-Murray card

[margaret thatcher]

The chinese dude is actually legit, it's a good matchup, should be a sh!telode of punchees thrown

[maverick23]

They may as well put this on Saunders-Murray card

The money won’t be there for it. Both Saunders and Warrington will have big guarantees and getting Xu over for a unification won’t be cheap either.

Will either be a stand-alone card on the 19th or will be in January I think. Yeah

[Ruthless-RKO]

What's going on with this? no new updates?

[maverick23]

What's going on with this? no new updates?

I think it will be announced either this week or next. Will be in February end hopefully with some fans.