Leigh Wood v Josh Warrington Boxing Tips
Warrington to Win and Round 5 to Start
Warrington to Win in Round 5 – 8
Wood to be Knocked Down 2+ Times
Leigh Wood V Josh Warrington
Saturday, 10pm
TV: DAZN
It’s been a journey to get here, but now Leigh Wood’s and Josh Warrington’s winding paths finally meet head-on. Wood holds a version of the world title he first won against China’s Can Xu in Eddie Hearn’s back garden during lockdown, with Warrington coming to the ring as the challenger and the underdog.
A few years ago ‘The Leeds Warrior’ would have been a massive favourite for this fight – in 2018 Warrington was the featherweight number one after victories over Lee Selby and Carl Frampton, while Nottingham’s Wood was facing journeymen out of the limelight after an early career loss.
Wood took his world title chance in 2021, defended it heroically against Michael Conlan, and then lost to Mauricio Lara before winning the belt back in May this year. ‘Leigh-thal’ deserves a big money domestic dust up, even if he has to do it at the neutral territory of Sheffield Arena.
It has been a tough couple of years for Warrington – suffering his first defeats, a draw and injuries, and he probably isn’t quite the same fighter that he was five years ago, but the intense Yorkshireman is still only 32 and he should not be written off.
Josh Warrington To Win And Round 5 To Start
Warrington is known for his work rate and volume punching, but he also has rapid hand speed and dangerous combinations. Wood is a more orthodox boxer-puncher with hard straight shots that could offset any 126-pounder. The styles are different but they should combust into an absolute fire fight.
Paddy Power has Leigh Wood as the favourite and it is easy to see the thinking – the Nottingham banger was beating Lara in their first fight in February before the Mexican unfurled a massive left hook KO, but Leigh made no mistake in the rematch in May. Lara faced Warrington in 2021 and was always in control on his way to a ninth round TKO win.
But the dots can be joined up differently – Lara buzzed Warrington in round 2 and dropped him in round 4, but the ‘Warrior’ battled on until round 9. When Wood lost he was finished by the first big shot he took. Warrington showed his grit again when his jaw was broken by Kiko Martinez in their 2022 bout, and the former champ still managed to win by KO in round 7.
Last December Warrington lost a mixed decision by just one round to Luis Alberto Lopez, the same Lopez who destroyed Michael Conlan earlier this year. Wood needed a final round KO to beat Conlan, and it is only three years since he lost to European-level Jazza Dickens at York Hall.
Three of Warrington’s last four KOs have come in round 7 or later, while all of Woods last five KOs have been after the halfway point. I can’t see an early KO in this fight but I do fancy Warrington to get the win – check out #WhatOddsPaddy bets on the Leeds man to win at some point after the fifth round.
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Josh Warrington To Win In Round 5-8
There’s no doubt that Wood is a bigger puncher than Warrington, but I think Warrington has a much better chin – Wood was pretty much sparked clean out by Lara, he was dropped heavily by Conlan who isn’t much of a banger, and Gavin McDonnell – a man with a KO ratio of 27% – stopped Wood in six rounds in 2014.
Warrington has a similar KO ratio to McDonnell but he isn’t completely feather fisted – he needs an opponent to attack him so that he can walk that opponent on to a big shot, and Wood is the type of fighter who will come forward.
Leigh has been stopped in rounds 6 and 7 before, and Josh’s best KO win of his career came in 2022 when he stopped Martinez in round 7. I really like the middle rounds KO win for Warrington, and the big price odds is a massive bonus.
Wood To Be Knocked Down 2+ Times
Wood’s legs get wobbly at the sight of a ring, but Warrington doesn’t have the power to knock over a house of cards in one go – there could be knockdowns even if there isn’t a knockout and luckily for us Paddy has got those bets covered too.
Our bookmaker is offering a huge price for Wood to be knocked down twice or more and I think it’s a real possibility. There are loads of great #WhatOddsPaddy offers but this is the best bet for me.
Leigh Wood v Josh Warrington Boxing Tips
Warrington to Win and Round 5 to Start
Warrington to Win in Round 5 – 8
Wood to be Knocked Down 2+ Times
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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