Last month, Josh Warrington and Mauricio Lara were involved in a heated confrontation.
Warrington was ringside in Nottingham, watching Lara score a stoppage win over Leigh Wood to capture the WBA featherweight title.
After the fight had concluded, Lara would become very animated by walking over to the ring ropes facing Warrington’s area and spat at the Leeds fighter. They were held back by their respective handlers.
The rivalry has become very personal after two contests.
In 2021, Lara shocked the division by scoring a sensational knockout of Warrington. In September of the same year, the rematch ended in a two round no-decision, after Lara suffered a bad cut due to a clash of heads.
Lara has openly complained about Warrington’s alleged in-ring tactics – claiming the British boxer consistently uses his head, elbows and lands rabbit punches.
Warrington is hoping to settle the score in a trilogy fight.
“There seems to be personal animosity between us now,” Warrington said to the Yorkshire Evening Post. “I knew he’d been stringing it along for some time, since the second fight, that it’s personal between me and him and it never has been for me, it’s been healthy competition even though there’s pushing and shoving at weigh-ins, it’s never been personal. But now it is for me.
“The way he conducted himself a few weeks back. I was sat as a guest, working punditry on DAZN but I was at the side of the ring, so for him to behave like that, spitting is one of the most degrading acts you can do to somebody. I’d rather have been punched, honestly. It’s disgusting as well. Look, if he’d done that a few years ago with the COVID situation, do you know what I mean? If I’d done it, what would have been my consequences? Listen, he’s been saying for a while he wants to retire me. Here I am. I’m there, let’s get it on.”
Before a trilogy fight can happen, Warrington will have to wait for the smoke to fully clear.
Wood has the option of exercising an immediate rematch clause. During the loss, Wood suffered some injuries and his next move is still being determined. If Wood fails to exercise that option, promoter Eddie Hearn would love to match Lara and Warrington for a third time.