Warrington, Amagasa Make Weight For Featherweight Clash

By Jake Donovan

Josh Warrington puts at risk a guaranteed shot the featherweight title as welcomes Japan's Hisashi Amagasa to his hometown. The boxers made weight ahead of their 12-round main event Saturday evening at First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. 

Warrington tipped the scales at a ripped and lean 125 lbs. The rail thin Amagasa - who is listed at 5'10 1/2" but towers over all other featherweights - checked in at 125.5 lbs.

The bout marks the first piece of ring action for Warrington (22-0, 4KOs) since becoming the mandatory challenger to the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title following a dominant 12-round win over Joel Brunker in this very arena last October. 

With a win, Warrington will go on to face the winner of the featherweight title fight between defending champion Gary Russell Jr. and Ireland's Patrick Hyland, which takes place mere hours later in the United States. 

Amagasa (30-5-2, 22KOs) has become something of a cult favorite following a spirited effort in an 11th round knockout loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux in their New Year's Eve '14 clash. The 30-year old from Tokyo had the unbeaten World super bantamweight champion on the deck twice in the fight, but was dropped himself and eventually stopped in a fun fight, a description not always associated with Rigondeaux ring appearances. 

While proving valiant in defeat is often admired, winning also helps when your goal is to enter the title picture. Amagasa has since added two victories to his ledger, albeit versus nondescript opposition and will have to step up his game versus a talented unbeaten fighter in his prime and who's fighting in familiar surroundings.

The co-feature pits former titlists Stuart Hall and Rodrigo Guerrero in a 12-round International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title eliminator. The winner of the bout will go on to face Lee Haskins, whom first has a dangerous defense ahead of him versus Ivan Morales on May 14. 

Both boxers easily made weight for a bout that could very well steal the show.

Guerrero (24-5-1, 16KOs) came in at 117.3 lbs. for his first career fight in the United Kingdom. The 28-year old slugger from Mexico City briefly reigned as a super flyweight titlist, scoring an upset win over Raul Martinez in their Oct. '11 rematch, with Guerrero scoring a technical decision win to atone for a previous split decision to the Texan. He conceded the title in his first defense, losing a 12-rounder to countryman Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. just four months later.

The battle-tested veteran has since has won five straight, including a minor upset knockout victory over then unbeaten Daniel Rosas in Feb. '14.

Hall (19-4-2, 7KOs) came in at a surprisingly light 116.2 lbs for what he hopes will be a performance that turns around his career. The 36-year old Brit returns to the venue where he claimed a vacant bantamweight belt in his Dec. '13 upset win over Vusi Malinga - but little has since gone right, having fought to a draw in his lone successful title defense before suffering back-to-back losses.

Three wins have followed, although all coming versus pedestrian opposition. 

Both bouts will air live on Sky Sports. 

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox