Wood vs Warrington betting preview: can Josh become three-time world champion?

Josh Warrington will be bidding to become a three-time champion of the world when he takes on Leigh Wood for the WBA featherweight title in Sheffield on Saturday night. For the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.

Style-wise, Wood (27-3, 16 KO’s) and Warrington (31-2-1, 8 KO’s) are very different but they do share plenty of similarities.

Wood is at his best when he can dictate the distance and pace that a fight is contested at. So is Warrington.

Warrington produced his best work when the stakes were the highest. So did Wood.

Both fighters battled their way up from the small hall circuit. And neither of them were expected to enjoy the level of success they had.

Wood’s trainer, Ben Davison, correctly said at Thursday’s press conference that both fighters are more versatile than they are given credit for. That may be true but it is also a fact that both have a preferred style of fighting they will always be most comfortable with.

STYLES

If Wood is able to operate in his comfort zone, control the range and let his right hand go, he can be hard to beat. In full flow he is extremely good to watch and a very dangerous man to fight. He was outstanding when outpointing Maurcio Lara in their rematch in May. It was a very impressive feat of mental strength given the way he was stopped in the first fight just three months earlier.

Warrington’s style has more guile than initially meets the eye. The 32Red ambassador likes to time his attacks, getting into range quickly and letting both hands go before escaping and starting the process again. When Warrington is on his game, his opponents are rarely allowed to settle into a rhythm. At his best, he has proved to be an unstoppable force.

POWER

Wood is a world class puncher. Stories of his power circulated the gym scene during his rise through the rankings and since he started competing at the highest level he has shown the ability to hurt elite fighters. His final round stoppages of Xu Can and Michael Conlan proved that he also carries his power into the later stages of a fight. When a fighter takes a flush shot from Wood, they seem to stay hit for a while.

Warrington was dismissed as a non puncher early in his career but has won seven championship fights inside the distance. His stoppage of Sofiane Takoucht was brutal and, last March, he stopped the rock solid Kiko Martinez in seven rounds to regain his IBF title. Carl Frampton described Warrington as one of the hardest punchers he ever shared the ring with. He may not have the one shot power Wood possesses but Warrington definitely has pop to his punches.

WEAKNESSES

Wood may be enjoying an Indian Summer to his career but there were similarities in the way Jazza Dickens and Mauricio Lara beat him. And Michael Conlan had plenty of moments in a high paced, give and take affair. In fact, Dickens drew up the blueprint. The Liverpudlian set a tremendous pace and never allowed Wood to settle. He was resilient when Wood had his moments and made the most of every opportunity he created. Wood was hurt by Dickens, dropped by Conlan and knocked out by Lara. The common denominator was their refusal to let him find a comfort zone.

For years, Warrington was the immoveable object but has started to show a hint of vulnerability. Mauricio Lara brutally stopped an out of sorts Warrington in a behind closed doors lockdown fight. He stopped Kiko Martinez but suffered a broken jaw in the process and Lopez enjoyed success to head and body during the first half of their fight. Maybe wary of his jaw, Warrington appeared slightly hesitant for the first six rounds of that fight, something that can be a big problem for a fighter with his style. However, Warrington showed the heart and determination to bite down on his gum shield and close up the scorecards. If a fighter is able to get off his own shots before Warrington is able to time his own attacks, then he can have success. Wood may hit just as hard as Mauricio Lara and be more accurate and controlled than Lopez but he might also be easier to read than both.

WHAT HAPPENS?

As usual, there are intangibles to consider; questions we can’t answer until the fight begins. How tight is Wood at the weight? Has Warrington recovered full confidence in his jaw?

Given the struggles Wood has endured with fighters intent on upsetting his rhythm, it makes all the sense in the world to choose Warrington to once again upset the odds and become a three-time champion. Warrington is a master of imposing himself on a fight. If he can make Wood fight outside of his comfort zone and work when he wants to rest, he can fight his way to a decision victory. This is available at 18/5.

If Wood is able to establish his range and fire in a couple of right hands, he may be able to put doubt into Warrington’s mind early on. Life will be far easier if he can turn ‘The Leeds Warrior’ into a more stationary target. That won’t be easy. This won’t be the same Warrington who ducked between the ropes to fight Lopez. But Wood is much more accurate and has more weight on his punches than the erratic Mexican. A Wood stoppage in rounds 11-12 is priced at 14/1. He has done it twice before in world title fights.

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