Josh Warrington believes more big nights will come for him, but having set his heart on boxing in Las Vegas in 2019, he is having to be a bit patient.
The Yorkshireman defends his IBF featherweight title against Sofiane Takoucht, of France, at the First Direct Arena, Leeds, on Saturday. This will be the tenth time he has topped the bill there and while he had hoped to take his massive support on the kind of Las Vegas week with Ricky Hatton, he needs a dance partner. So far Oscar Valdes (the WBO champion) and Leo Santa Cruz (the WBA champion) have not appeared too keen.
But those are not the only names that could give Warrington a big night, with Shakur Stevenson and Michael Conlan comparatively easy fights to make and even Vasiliy Lomachenko or Nayoa Inoue possibilities.
“I had hoped to face Santa Cruz or Oscar Valdez after my last fight, but sometimes things don’t work out that way straight away,” Warrington said.
“The other champions don’t seem to want to face me. But I sat down with Frank Warren (his promoter) and I decided I will just face all the fighters that are lined up, whether that be Stevenson or Conlan or whoever. If I keep winning fights hopefully those fights will happen.
“If you look at someone like Joe Calzaghe, he had to wait until right at the end of his career to have the big fights he really wanted. It was different for me, because I had two big fights right at the start of my title reign, beating Lee Selby and then Carl Frampton.
“I’d love to face Lomachenko. A lot of people might hear that and think ‘who does he think he is?’ But unless you push yourself to be as good as you can, you never know. I only have one career, I feel I am getting to my peak now, so why not?
“It’s the same with Inoue. I’d love all those fights. I’d be honest and say I don’t know if I would win, but if you never. I’ve got a few grey hairs now, but I think I’m coming into my peak.”
For the moment, though, he faces Takoucht, a 33-year-old who comes from close to France’s border with Belgium. It is a big step up for Takoucht, who briefly held the European title nine years ago, but Warrington can’t afford to take him lightly.
“I can’t overlook who I have in front of me,” Warrington said. “Stylewise he is what you would call a typical European fighter, he always has his hands high. Hopefully that style will suit me.”
This will be the third defence of his title, having won the belt at Elland Road, the home of his beloved Leeds United, in May last year. The first defence saw him beat Frampton in Manchester, then he returned to Leeds to beat Kid Galahad.
The latter fight was a split points decision, but Warrington felt he was a comfortable winner. “It was all about the championship rounds,” Warrington said. “He needed to find something else in the last two rounds. In the ring, I was sure I had won.”
Last week the Frampton fight was voted Fight of the Year at the British Boxing Board of Control Awards, although he was unable to attend and collect the trophy.
“It is good to be recognised, but two weeks out from my fight I couldn’t go down to London for the night,” he said. “I haven’t received the trophy yet, I don’t know who has got it, but I hope it turns up.”
While it is nice to win another trophy, Warrington is not really one to show off this awards, even his world-title belt.
“I keep the belt in its case under the bed,” he said. “One day I want to build a trophy cabinet to have all my trophies and medal and belts, but I’d like to think I can win some more belts, so I don’t know how big I will have to make it.”
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