LEIGH WOOD insists he doesn’t care who he faces subsequent so long as it’s at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground after Eddie Hearn described the Josh Warrington rematch as the largest fight on the market for him.
Wood accomplished a sensational smash-and-grab victory over Warrington on the Sheffield Arena on Saturday evening when he stopped the Leeds Warrior within the seventh spherical whereas trailing on all three playing cards.
However the conclusion got here in controversial circumstances as Warrington believed referee Michael Alexander waved it off too early, with out giving him the ample time to show his restoration.
Now the eye has turned to what could be subsequent for Wood, who has been promised a 2024 fight on the residence of his beloved Nottingham Forest.
The 35-year-old says he will certainly be shifting as much as super-featherweight, which has opened the door to an all-British conflict with Joe Cordina. Names like Emanuel Navarrete have additionally been talked about for the outside conflict however Wood is adamant he doesn’t thoughts who’s within the reverse nook.
“I think I’ve got a number of options,” Wood mentioned. “Eddie mentioned it was an awesome fight however am I ever in a uninteresting fight, ever? I’m not.
“On that foundation we’ve obtained the decide of the litter. I may give Josh one other shot, I’m open to that however it wouldn’t be at featherweight, I can’t make it safely anymore. There are different individuals on the weight above too. I’ve obtained a number of choices so we’ll see what occurs.
“The query of who isn’t actually the issue – it’s the place and when. We wish to do the City Ground.
“That’s my best win, Josh is a three-time world champion with massive scalps on his record. I’m the only Brit to beat him. He’s a great fighter and definitely my best scalp. If we do it again we do it again, if not I’d like a new challenge.”
Hearn, who sat to Wood’s proper as he spoke, admitted that the rematch with Warrington could be the one one large enough to fill the stadium, particularly given the controversy surrounding the stoppage.
Hearn mentioned: “We mentioned to Leigh Wood that the City Ground could be subsequent if he was to be victorious. I really feel prefer it ought to have occurred sooner. It’s an enormous place and I believe there are huge fights on the market. I’m positive Josh looks like he ought to get one other shot however it wouldn’t be at 126lbs.
“When you’ve obtained two units of followers – from Leeds and Nottingham – they usually noticed an exciting fight then that’s an choice. There can also be Joe Cordina however would he wish to go to somebody’s yard when he’s the champion? If the deal was proper fairly presumably.
“But the main target now’s to verify the following fight, whoever it’s towards, is on the City Ground. When you’ve obtained two big units of followers it’s potential. As we’ve seen with Josh, whenever you’ve obtained stadium fights you don’t simply make Josh towards somebody, you make it towards Lee Selby for the world title or Mauricio Lara in an enormous rematch.
“It will take an enormous fight for Leigh Wood on the City Ground so we’ll see what the demand is and what all people thinks. I wish to watch the fight again. I believe if Josh has turned spherical then they might have 100 per cent let the fight keep on. If the ref did name it off at eight, I believe it was too early as a result of he ought to have given him the chance to show round.
“But the ref mentioned to me he wouldn’t flip spherical so for those who wouldn’t flip spherical then I can’t let it proceed. But we all know the numbers on DAZN had been improbable and the gang had been improbable – so why not.
“If you look at frontrunners for the size of fights at the City Ground I think the rematch is probably the biggest one.”
Warrington, in the meantime, felt ‘hard done by’ after the stoppage and confirmed he’s completely happy to maneuver as much as super-featherweight to safe the rematch.
He mentioned: “This was in all probability my final fight at feather, I can nonetheless make it comfortably however I’ve been right here a very long time. My higher performances in sparring and stuff have come once I’ve been a bit heavier so I might be seeking to step up even when I used to be victorious towards Leigh.
“I really feel a bit laborious executed by tonight – it was the top of the spherical, I get to my ft, there’s a smile on my face, I turned spherical at eight and the following minute it’s waved off.
“I was cruising the fight, ahead on the scorecards but switched off for a split second. It’s boxing. I turned round at eight – I thought I would be at least given the opportunity to sit down. I know the referee is there for my own safety but I’m deep into my career. I’ve never really been hurt and this is my seventh world title fight. I should have been given the opportunity to carry on. Maybe I got up too quickly but my senses were with me.”
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