Leigh Wood retained the WBA featherweight title with a vicious knockout of Josh Warrington on Saturday, when it looked like the champion himself was on the verge of being finished.
Wood employed a southpaw stance to good effect in the first two rounds, but Warrington – a former two-time IBF champion – began to pull ahead by getting the better of most exchanges, loading up on fierce shots and putting his opponent in trouble throughout.
Wood soon began to leak blood from a cut around his right eye, but Warrington faced his own moment of adversity when he was docked a point in Round 7 for a punch to the back of the head – having previously been warned by the referee. At that stage, few onlookers would have predicted that the penalty would affect the result, however; Warrington looked to be on course for victory, whether it be on the scorecards or inside the distance.
Yet suddenly, against the run of the action, Wood produced a stunning finish with just seconds remaining in the seventh frame, dropping the “Leeds Warrior” with a brutal combination.
Re-live updates from Wood vs Warrington and the undercard fights, below.
