Leigh Wood vs. Josh Warrington II | DAZN - 21 February 2026

[Ruthless-RKO]

Leigh Wood vs. Josh Warrington Rematch Slated For May 18

Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn has revealed that the all-British battle and rematch between Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington will take place in the United Kingdom later this spring.

“May 18 is the proposed date,” Hearn told The MMA Hour. “We’re in talks with the club, they’ve got a big concert on the week after, so it’s just about getting the logistics right. Not to put too much pressure on Nottingham Forest, but it’s in the hands of the club. We’ve got a fight ready to go I believe on May 18th with Wood versus Warrington II.”

In October, Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) scored a sensational come-from-behind seventh-round technical knockout win against Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs) while down on all three cards at the time via scores of 55-59, 55-59, and 56-58.

Wood dramatically connected with a crushing combination that suddenly staggered his counterpart and stopped the contest. Although Warrington had outlanded Wood 104 to 53, Wood got the win in the thriller.

Following the fight, Warrington praised Wood for having the heart of a champion.

The 33-year-old two-time featherweight titlist Warrington will look to revive his career after going 1-3-1 in his last five fights.

Soon after the Warrington fight, Wood, 35, vacated the WBA featherweight title he’d won from Mauricio Lara in a rematch last year.

Wood admitted to eyeing a title shot at 130 pounds, but there is still some unfinished business to handle with Warrington first.

Warrington has previously stated that he’s open to having the rematch take place at 130 pounds.

[jameswilson]

At 130 presumably.

[tigermoth87]

Rematches are my least favorite thing in boxing. Unless it was a draw, I don't give a flying fornicate. Fight someone new.

Especially because Josh has now lost three of his last five and drew one. Get the back of the line Joshy Boy.

[KiwiRider]

How does Warrington get a shot at Wood?
And why would Wood want to fight Warrington, who exhibited his usual tactics in their first fight?
Has to be a voluntary with two losses on the trot.
I would much rather Wood fought Figueroa.

[maverick23]

How does Warrington get a shot at Wood?
And why would Wood want to fight Warrington, who exhibited his usual tactics in their first fight?
Has to be a voluntary with two losses on the trot.
I would much rather Wood fought Figueroa.

It’s not for a belt mate. Wood gave up his title and has moved to Super Feather.

Wood has been pushing for a fight at Forest’s stadium so needs an opponent who will help in selling tickets. Warrington sells tickets himself and the way the first fight makes the second one bigger.

I don’t mind the fight.

[KiwiRider]

How does Warrington get a shot at Wood?
And why would Wood want to fight Warrington, who exhibited his usual tactics in their first fight?
Has to be a voluntary with two losses on the trot.
I would much rather Wood fought Figueroa.

It’s not for a belt mate. Wood gave up his title and has moved to Super Feather.

Wood has been pushing for a fight at Forest’s stadium so needs an opponent who will help in selling tickets. Warrington sells tickets himself and the way the first fight makes the second one bigger.

I don’t mind the fight.

Yeah, I see that now
Boxrec still listing it.

[omalley]

It’s not for a belt mate. Wood gave up his title and has moved to Super Feather.

Yes, Wood gave up his title and has said that has moved to Super Feather. In fact he hasn't moved anywhere yet.

[Gran Hermano]

Don't get it. He knocked him out fair and square. The result was definitive. Nobody needs to see it again and this is a cash grab. Warrington is finished but there are plenty of big fights Wood could be having. Cordina for one..

Pointless.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Leigh Wood-Josh Warrington Rematch No Longer In Play For May 18 At City Ground; Plans Currently On Hold

Leigh Wood’s dream of a hometown stadium headliner is not yet ready to become a reality.

Boxing Scene has learned that plans are on hold for a previously targeted rematch between Nottingham’s Wood and Leeds’ Josh Warrington. Matchroom Boxing hoped to stage the grudge match on May 18 at the famed City Ground, home to the Nottingham Football Forest Club.

An issue with finalizing the venue, at least for that date, has caused the unfortunate delay.

Interestingly, the May 18 date will now be occupied by another fight of British interest. The Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight championship was rescheduled for that date, as confirmed by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh. That fight, however, did not at all factor into the decision to postpone plans for Wood-Warrington II, a development that was learned by all involved parties before that point.

Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) ended his three-fight 2023 campaign with a come-from-behind, seventh-round knockout of Warrington last October 7 at Utilita Arena in Sheffield. The fight marked the first defense of his second WBA featherweight title reign, though he subsequently vacated the title to instead concentrate on the final stage of his well-celebrated career—high-profile fights, regardless of the stakes.

The 35-year-old, two-time WBA featherweight titlist was adamant after the fight—and really throughout 2023—of his desire to enjoy a main event at City Ground. A rematch with Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs)—a former two-time IBF featherweight titleholder—was believed to be the perfect fight to bring out the fans, far more than the maximum capacity for Nottingham Arena, where Wood has headlined three times.

Neither Wood nor Warrington have fought since their bitter title fight. Their meeting marked the only ring appearance for Warrington on the year. It came ten months after a December 2022 majority decision defeat to Luis Alberto Lopez to end his second IBF title reign.

Wood’s active year oddly began with a stoppage loss to Mauricio Lara in his Nottingham hometown.

He was ahead on the scorecards before he was dropped in the seventh round. Head trainer Ben Davison subsequently signaled to referee Michael Alexander to stop the fight, much to the chagrin of Wood.

It turned out to be the right call. Wood avoided additional punishment and was at full strength for their May 27 rematch in Manchester, won by Wood via lopsided decision.

[jwfg]

The first one was a belter with a come-from-behind stoppage. I'm more than happy to watch a rerun of that.

[THEBUTCH]

It was an enjoyable fight and Warrington was boxing very well until Wood produced the big punches.

I'm a bit torn because I'm fed up with all these constant rematches & the first outcome was conclusive, but chances are Wood v Warrington 2 will be entertaining again.

[Coco]

It was an enjoyable fight and Warrington was boxing very well until Wood produced the big punches.

I'm a bit torn because I'm fed up with all these constant rematches & the first outcome was conclusive, but chances are Wood v Warrington 2 will be entertaining again.

With those 2 fighting, entertainment is guaranteed

[NazNaci1]

It was an enjoyable fight and Warrington was boxing very well until Wood produced the big punches.

I'm a bit torn because I'm fed up with all these constant rematches & the first outcome was conclusive, but chances are Wood v Warrington 2 will be entertaining again.

With those 2 fighting, entertainment is guaranteed

Was definitely a good scrap and worth a re-run.

The old adage in boxing that if one fighter KO's, in the rematch he'd do it quicker doesn't always apply. Warrington was doing well and winning, so you have to give him a shot.

[SeanBrennan]

It was an enjoyable fight and Warrington was boxing very well until Wood produced the big punches.

I'm a bit torn because I'm fed up with all these constant rematches & the first outcome was conclusive, but chances are Wood v Warrington 2 will be entertaining again.

With those 2 fighting, entertainment is guaranteed

Was definitely a good scrap and worth a re-run.

The old adage in boxing that if one fighter KO's, in the rematch he'd do it quicker doesn't always apply. Warrington was doing well and winning, so you have to give him a shot.

he certainly was. Sounds like it won't happen next though.

[wrighty]

I say I don't like the rematch but would still watch it. I am a Wood fan. Seems nice and he has skills, he can always pull it out of the bag if it's going tits up too

[SeanBrennan]

I say I don't like the rematch but would still watch it. I am a Wood fan. Seems nice and he has skills, he can always pull it out of the bag if it's going tits up too

Me too. And Warrington surprised me as he really did so well until the end. I am a big Wood fan. Lovie your description, they should put that on Wood's PR 'Pulls it out of the bag in tits up scenario'.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Leigh Wood eyeing at least one more fight – Josh Warrington rematch under consideration

Ben Davison likes the Josh Warrington rematch for his super featherweight Leigh Wood.

The always-exciting Wood has not fought since being stopped in nine rounds by Belfast’s Anthony Cacace in May. That rivalry has likely run its course, but Wood and Warrington have shared bad blood since their bout.

Warrington was doing well early but got careless when he walked on to a withering combination and was dropped heavily in the seventh round of their encounter in Sheffield, in October 2023.

When Warrington rose, the referee Michael Alexander waved the fight off and controversy raged, with Warrington claiming he should have been able to fight on and Wood contending he would – if the fight had continued – have put Warrington away.

“We’re talking at the minute; I think they probably want to do the Josh Warrington fight again,” Davison told BS. “I think that's what I think might happen. But there’s other options out there for him as well.”

Wood has a similar rivalry with Michael Conlan, who was stopped in the 12th by Wood in 2022 and boxes Jack Bateson in September. Both rematches will remain commercially viable for the fighter from Nottingham, who still covets a fight at the local City Ground.

Wood, 37, weighed up his future after the Cacace fight. He’d had frustrated spells of inactivity and his record stands at 28-4 (17 KOs).

“I think probably since the Josh Warrington fight, there was an element of ‘Will I go again?’” explained Davison. “Then it was ‘I want to do the City Ground Fight’. Warrington was probably mad for it; a little bit of controversy around the first one. It was certainly an entertaining fight and that didn’t come off.

“And then [Wood] got like an auto-immune disease, I think it is, which kept him out for a long time. And then it was the Cacace fight. But it was a tough fight; tough style match-up. He’d had a long time out of the ring. But I think he wants to do one more and see, ‘Was it the time out of the ring [that cost him against Cacace]?’. And then go from there.”

It was Davison who sent in the towel to rescue Wood against Cacace. Davison had previously used the towel to rescue Wood against Mauricio Lara and other fighters of his, when other coaches might have been happier for their charges to go out on their shield.

“You’ve got to be ballsy in those situations,” Davison said. “I never ever feel pressure of should I, shouldn’t I, or from my instincts. It’s the kind of thing; I think you’ve got to play it safe. I think there’s a time and place maybe not to, for example – like Tyson [Fury] versus Wilder.”

Davison was in the corner that incredible night in 2018 in Los Angeles when Fury was dropped twice by Deontay Wilder, once miraculously rising having seemingly been out and flat on his back.

“I don’t think anybody would have complained if I put the towel out in there,” said Davison. “But when he got up, I could see his legs were steady, but I was very confident he was able to defend himself. As long as they can still defend themselves, I think that’s the most important thing. If I think they can defend themselves, I give them a chance.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

LEIGH WOOD WANTS REMATCH WITH JOSH WARRINGTON; FREE AGENT TALKING WITH WARREN, HEARN

Leigh Wood has targeted a November ring return and believes the long-awaited rematch with Josh Warrington would ‘make the most sense.’

The 37-year-old Wood’s last outing ended in defeat at the hands of former IBF 130-pound champion Anthony Cacace, who stopped him in the ninth round May 10 in Nottingham, England.

Wood is 2-2 in his four fights since February 2023, but he is determined to get out again well before the end of the year. He is currently a contractual free agent and in conversations with both allegedly and his former promoter, Eddie Hearn.

The Nottinghamshire puncher has made it clear to all parties that a rematch with Warrington is at the top of his wish list. He admits, though, that progress on the matter has been slow.

“I just want to get back out there and fight,” Wood told The Ring. “I want to fight in November if possible and there are a few options for me.

“I think the Warrington fight makes the most sense, but I don’t know what’s happening with that. I’m not too sure. I think for him and for me it makes sense, but it doesn’t seem to be moving or making much ground at the minute, so I might explore other options. We will see.”

Wood already holds a victory over “The Leeds Warrior,” but it was a victory tinged with controversy. He was behind on all three cards and cut above the eye when he got his breakthrough in the seventh round.

Warrington went down after a flurry of hard hooks as the bell sounded to end the round. He was up in time to beat the count, but as he leaned over the ropes in his own corner, referee Michael Alexander waved it off.

Warrington later insisted his head was clear and only had his back turned because it was the end of the round. He has also chased the rematch and the chance to set the record straight.

“I just think where we are both at it makes the most sense,” Wood added. “He thinks after the first fight that he was winning the fight but got caught with a good shot. That’s the narrative, so I’d like to prove that wrong. I’d take great joy in doing it again because I very much dislike him.

“It’s not my only option, but it’s the most likely I would say. I’m not with a promoter at the minute and I’ve been talking to Frank and had meetings with Matchroom. I don’t know. I’m waiting for something back, so we will see.”

The two-time featherweight champion is 28-4, including 17 knockouts, after nearly 14 years as a pro. And although his defeat to Cacace, his first outing up at junior lightweight, was hard to stomach, Wood says he is not thinking about retiring just yet.

“I’m trying not to think about it,” Wood said, “but I know it’s in the not-so-distant future. For me the main thing is to finish on a high not a low. I’ve got loads in the tank, but I don’t want to keep fighting and fighting and fighting for the sake of it. I want to be performing.

“If I have my next one and I don’t perform, then I’ll know where I’m at. But all being well, I’m feeling a lot better than I was last year and on top of my game.”

[SeanBrennan]

I think Warrington stops him, I think he is less 'done'.

[margaret thatcher]

0 interest in this

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Josh Warrington playing the waiting game but hoping to land Leigh Wood rematch

Former two-time world featherweight champion Josh Warrington has returned from a family holiday and had hoped his return would be met with fight news.

However, the Leeds warrior is patiently waiting, and hoping, that he will be once again paired with domestic rival Leigh Wood.

The two shared a cracking bout in October 2023. Warrington had plenty of moments in the fight, but Wood applied the finisher in the seventh round.

It was contentious, however, with Warrington contending he could have fought on.

Warrington did not fight again for more than a year before losing a decision to in-form Irishman Anthony Cacace in September in his only outing of 2024 and, in April, he decisioned Asad Asif Khan in Sheffield over 10 rounds.

“I’ve been told by my team we’re looking at a potential rematch with an old opponent of mine, Mr Leigh Wood,” said Warrington, who is all but ready to go.

“I’m good. I’m pretty fit now, to be fair. I haven’t really stopped training since my last little run out in April. Last year I didn’t really get a chance to get away with family because of a few things and my wife was pregnant again, so we just took a little break and got away, I had a week off or so, and I thought I’d resume training as soon as I get back. At this moment in time, it doesn’t look like anything’s been finalized and confirmed, so I’m just waiting.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn has said the Wood fight could happen in October, but even if it does not, he expects Warrington to be out then.

“Yeah, this is what I was hearing too,” added Warrington. “For myself that’s a perfect time for me, coming back to a certain level, shall we say, and getting a bit of momentum going. “Obviously we’ve got a bit of history there, and as time goes by people sometimes think, ‘Oh, you know, a bit of momentum’s lost’ and, ‘What’s Warrington got left?’ but I think that’s a fight [with Wood] that can do a couple of things. One, it can bring the attention back, because obviously we’ve got a bit of history, and since our fight things have been a bit sour. Two, I think once I perform like I know I can still perform, people say, ‘Wow,’ even if they do say, ‘Oh, Leigh Wood’s took a hard couple of years.’ They won’t be able to ignore the fact that I’ve still got it and some more in the tank. It’s a fight that I know that he would like, also, I think, and it’s a fight I definitely want. I want to put that to bed. I’m just waiting to see what the powers that be [decide].”

A few venues have been mentioned, including one in Europe, and Warrington would be happy to take his significant fanbase on the road if required.

“Obviously I got a bit excited about that, because obviously for a long time I’ve talked about wanting to go away and take my loyal fan base, give them an away day,” he said, “But, like I said, I went away and I thought I’d come back with some news and, just ramp up the training and stuff. I’m still training hard.”

[Cbarnes19]

Is anyone really arsed?

Probably Leigh wood late KO for what it’s worth.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Reports suggesting they could take place in Monaco.

Matchroom usually go there around October/November.

[mickey1975]

Reports suggesting they could take place in Monaco.

Matchroom usually go there around October/November.

Because Matchroom are running very low on headliners and both boxers fan bases know it's long past it's sell by date.