Monday 1 August 2016 06:26, UK
Josh Warrington's next fight will be for a world title, according to Eddie Hearn who insists he will bring the occasion to Leeds. So which featherweight champion could come over?
Warrington is now the mandatory challenger to the WBC belt after earning recognition by finishing Patrick Hyland in nine rounds on Sunday. Yet fighting Russell Jr, whose last outing saw him wipe out Hyland inside two, remains unlikely.
The American struggled to make the 126lbs weight limit against Hyland and has frequently called for a rematch of his sole pro defeat, against Vasyl Lomachenko. He might need to follow Lomachenko out of the featherweight division to secure that.
If Russell Jr opts to vacate rather than take on the obligation of defending against Warrington, the Leeds man could contest the belt against a fellow ranked WBC contender. No 2 ranked Joseph Diaz is 23-years-old and has an identical 24-0 record as Warrington, having boxed on America's west coast and once in Mexico. Third-ranked Cristian Mijares is a 34-year-old veteran with a mammoth 54-8-2 record, and a defeat to Leo Santa Cruz to his name.
Warrington's Matchroom promoters are clearly happy to throw him in against Selby because negotiations reached an advanced stage before breaking down. The end of these talks has stirred the pot further and turned a potential duel with the 'Welsh Mayweather' into the most attractive proposition for Warrington.
Warrington's upcoming wedding was the cause of the botched talks, Selby believes, and the Welshman said: "I've heard some pretty feeble reasons before for running away from a fight but that's a new one." Selby even admitted he would have fought in Leeds and Warrington, as the challenger, would have got a better than 25 percent share of the purse.
Warrington, in turn, claimed that Leeds United's Elland Road was unavailable which meant the fight was delayed. Surely the onus is now on the men behind the scenes to book a date in late-2016 for Leeds' football stadium to bring in Selby, who has already boxed all over Britain.
Carl Frampton stepped up in weight to brilliantly take Santa Cruz's 'Super' belt on the same night as Warrington's fight against Hyland last weekend. Such is the standing that Frampton now demands on both sides of the Atlantic, he is likely to hand-pick whatever comes next.
Eddie Hearn, Warrington's promoter, stressed last weekend that the Leeds puncher's maiden world title shot would come in his home city which automatically rules out Frampton, who would be a nightmare opponent for anybody stepping up to the top level for the first time.
Yet the WBA also recognise Argentina's Jesus Cuellar as their 'regular' champion. 29-year-old Cuellar has a 28-1 record with 21 knockout wins but tellingly also has experience of departing his homeland. After building a reputation in Argentina, his last six wins have been in the United States. Cuellar could be tempted over to Leeds, affording Warrington the chance to join Frampton as a WBA title-holder.
The 25-year-old Mexican claimed this vacant belt less than a fortnight ago, blasting away Matias Carlos Rueda in Las Vegas. The WBO belt was vacated by the magnificent Lomachenko who has already claimed a second world title at a second weight in just seven professional fights.
Lomachenko's departure from the featherweight ranks must be a good thing for aspiring champions such as Warrington but, in his place, Valdez is an ominous prospect. He already has Evgeny Gradovich and Chris Avalos as respectable names on his record, and 18 knockouts in 20 fights suggests he possesses more power than Warrington. Could he be coaxed over to Leeds? He has already boxed in four American states after a pro debut in Mexico so Valdez could be a realistic target for Warrington.
