Josh Warrington hopes to celebrate becoming a two-time world champion by riding to the coast on his motorbike – now he finally has his family’s blessing.
‘The Leeds Warrior’ will bid to regain the IBF featherweight title at the First Direct Arena in his home city on Saturday night against defending champion Kiko Martinez.
Warrington has put trips out on his beloved Yamaha on hold during training for his big fight.
He also revealed he had not always seen eye-to-eye with father/trainer Sean O’Hagan nor wife Natasha over his passion for two wheels.
“It’s been an itch I’ve been scratching since I was a 16-year-old lad,” Warrington said.
“I turned 16 and said, ‘right dad, can I get a moped?’ And he said, ‘no, not a chance. You learn to drive first’.
“And you know what, I’m glad he made me do so. Then when I became world champion, I remember going to a motorbike garage and I came home with a brochure and my missus just burst into tears.
“She said, ‘you can’t. You’ve just become a dad’. So I was sulking and moping about.”
Warrington won the IBF title after a stunning split-decision win over Lee Selby in May 2018, three months after his twin daughters, Eliza and Olivia, were born.
He said his motorbike passion was recently rekindled when his dad, who he joked must have been going through “a mid-life crisis”, bought a scooter.
Warrington added: “I said, ‘I might do that and do my bike test’ and he said, ‘you’ve always wanted to, why don’t you do it?’
“My missus gave me the blessing. So with that blessing, I went and got it done.
“She told me I never shut up going on about it, so she said just go and do it and be careful.
“I’ve got a Yamaha MT-07, 650cc. I’m glad I’ve only done it now because I’ve got a car which does 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. I can go fast in that.
“I know if I put a hole in my car I’ll just knacker my alloy, if I put a hole in my bike, I’m coming off. So I ride defensively, but when I’m on it I love it. I absolutely love it.”
Warrington, who will be joined on his ring walk for Saturday night’s world title bout by Leeds defender Luke Ayling, knows where he is heading if he wins back the belt.
“Squires Cafe (in Sherburn in Elmet), over to Whitby and Scarborough. That’s something I want to do,” he said.
“Yesterday I was sat in my back garden and where I live, a lot of bikers go out towards Sherburn, there’s a big biking cafe out there.
“All I could hear was ‘vroom, vroom!’ It’s kind of like someone who’s on a diet walking past fast-food chains constantly.
“I can’t wait to get out on mine next week. Yeah, 100 per cent I’ll be celebrating.”
