IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington has turned up the heat by verbally blasting his next opponent, mandatory challenger Kid Galahad.
The pair will collide in Leeds later this year after Warrington's promoter, Frank Warren, won the IBF's purse bid.
Warrington views Galahad as a “disgrace to the sport” - due to the undefeated challenger getting cracked with a two-year suspension from UK Anti-Doping in 2015 after he tested positive for a banned steroid.
The ban for Galahad was later cut to 18 months. He claimed that a drink was spiked by his brother following a disagreement over money.
But Warrington is not in full belief of Galahad's excuse for the drugs ban, and believes the Sheffield boxer carries a very poor attitude in the sport.
“I don’t like this cocky persona he’s got and I don’t like his attitude," Warrington explained to the Yorkshire Post.
“When he talks about his drugs ban it’s like he doesn’t have any remorse. When you’re in athletics or something like that, people cheating means other athletes can lose out on medals. The difference in boxing is that you’re going in there to hurt each other. I don’t like it and he’s a disgrace to the sport in my eyes.”
The two boxers came close to a confrontation when Galahad tried to enter the ring after Warrington’s victory over Carl Frampton last December in Manchester. Galahad was prevented from getting in the ring by security.
Warrington had planned to take part in a unification with WBO champion Oscar Valdez or WBA king Leo Santa Cruz. But then the IBF issued a strict order which directed him to make the mandatory against Galahad.
“I wanted to be unifying belts but I’ve got Kid Galahad in the way of that now so it’s all the motivation I need. I can’t overlook him and I’d never do that with anybody,” Warrington said.