By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

UK – biggest and most notable

Disappointment was palpable. And, very, very real. On Saturday the 4th of September, outside in Headingly, Leeds, the top of the bill was the featherweight rematch between Mauricio Lara and Josh Warrington. It ended with a technical draw as Lara sustained a very bad cut in round two. As four rounds had not been completed, there were no scorecards to retreat to and it was called a draw. Warrington was after revenge when Lara had come over to the UK during lockdown and dropped Warrington, handing him his first ever defeat.

Warrington wanted a crowd, he got that, another chance to right the L, he got that and the win on his record, that eluded him. Now he is going to look beyond Lara as the cut shall take months to heal and the third fight will be far distant as a result. It’s an intriguing prospect for a true warrior like Warrington who can hold his own in any ring. The original fight with Lara was lost due to taking his man far too lightly. It did look, on the evidence cut short last Saturday, that Warrington might not have managed to absorb all of the learning he needed to as he traded and got into a war. That is what makes him a great spectacle – the heart stopping moments he stands when he needs to move. Now his next move has us all holding our breath…