Former world champion Josh Warrington has issued an urgent appeal to the Leeds Council to allow him fight at Emerald Headingley Stadium.
Back in February, one of the biggest upsets of the year took place when little known Mauricio Lara brutally knocked Warrington out, in the main event of card that was closed off to fans at Wembley Arena.
Warrington has since activated a rematch clause, but he wants the second fight to take place at Headingley.
However, last month the Leeds Council rejected Headingley as a venue - expressing their concerns over a late-night finish to the event and disruption to local residents.
Warrington's promoter, Matchroom Sport, have submitted an appeal - which is listed to be heard on August 27, at Kirklees Magistrates Court.
But, if Warrington and Matchroom wait that long for the outcome they won't have enough time to properly stage or promote the event.
“Saturday, May 19, 2018 will always be up there with one of the best days of my life. Apart from getting married to my wife Natasha and the birth of my beautiful baby girls, the day I became IBF World Champion in front of a packed Elland Road will always be special," Warrington wrote in the Yorkshire Post - as part of an open letter to the Leeds Council.
“Nobody expected me to do it, everybody wrote me off but the people who truly believed in me were my loyal fans. From supporting me at leisure centres and hotel banqueting suites, they have been with me from the start. That victory on a warm summer’s evening at the home of my beloved Leeds United was for them.
“Contrast that with a first defeat at a deserted, cold Wembley Arena against Mauricio Lara in February, without my army of fans, it was a tough one to take. After plenty of soul searching as to what went wrong, at the elite level of sport there is no room for errors.
“Revenge will be sweet as I am getting back to full fitness after a minor operation on my elbow and waiting patiently for a date from my promoter Eddie Hearn on a rematch in September. The people of Leeds have given me so much support over the years and after the pandemic I wanted to give them something to look forward to in the city and my dream was to avenge the only loss of my career, at Headingley Stadium.
“Unfortunately the application from Leeds City Council has been rejected which is a huge setback not just for me personally but to the people of Leeds who have always supported me. Headingley Stadium has a fantastic history which dates back to 1890 and I wanted to be a part of the first-ever boxing match to take place there.
“Headingley is a fantastic area of the city, with it’s vibrant atmosphere and people living in the area from all over the world, it’s a perfect destination for people to come together, support the local community, enjoy themselves and support me in my comeback fight. To give those memories back to my fans is something that I think about every day and I won’t let them down on the journey we have shared together.
“Leeds Rhinos and Matchroom Boxing have submitted an appeal to overturn the decision, we’re all hoping for the right outcome. And here I am today appealing to the council to overturn the decision and grant the Leeds Rhinos and Headingley Stadium a license to host my fight in September.”