Josh Warrington

Josh Warrington was born on November 14, 1990, in Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. He is known as a hometown hero, earning him the name "Leeds Warrior" for representing his hometown on the international stage. He even won his first world title, the IBF belt, at Elland Road Football Ground in front of his Leeds hometown crowd in 2018. But Warrington didn't just receive love from Leeds for his boxing; he also pursued higher education, earning a degree at the University of Leeds in 2013. He followed in the footsteps of his father and trainer, Sean O'Hagan, who introduced him to the sport. From Warrington's earliest amateur fights, he was Leeds' favorite, praised by his father for his work ethic and joyful fighting spirit.

In 2009, Josh Warrington made the transition to the professional ranks and quickly gained a large British fan base due to his relentless work rate and an impressive 29-fight win streak. Throughout his professional career, Warrington's ascent was characterized by his ability to wear down even the fittest of fighters during his reign as IBF Featherweight Champion. In February 2021, Warrington suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Mauricio Lara, experiencing a shocking upset that forced him to relinquish his IBF title. Warrington and Lara had a rematch in September 2019, but the fight ended in a draw. Warrington would regain his IBF title by defeating Kiko Martinez in March 2022 via TKO. However, the Leeds Warrior would lose his IBF title against Luis Alberto Lopez in December 2022.

Josh Warrington is not known for dwelling on the past but for bouncing back from the toughest losses and heart-wrenching decisions. While setbacks are part of life, he remains a top contender in the flyweight division. Warrington is known for his warrior mentality and exciting fights, with quick turnarounds. His determination to become an undisputed champion inspires not only his British fan base but also his fellow champions.

Warrington is a textbook guard artist who often uses his right hand to parry straight punches, even in cases of mistiming his left hand. He keeps his hands tightly tucked, a tactic many boxing experts refer to as "holding the phone," with his hands and elbows tucked to protect his face and rib cage to avoid hooks or straights. Warrington excels at ducking under hooks and then coming back up top, unleashing powerful straight shots. He also employs rolls to avoid hooks and uses the momentum to transition into powerful straight shots. Similar to a young Prince Naseem, he flexes his knees, akin to a level-changing college wrestler, to avoid punches.

Warrington has a talent for switching angles while moving backward and forward, landing damaging hooks that can slow down his opponents for the rest of the fight. This allows Warrington to secure many of his decision victories.