English boxing sensation Leigh Wood successfully defended his WBA featherweight title earlier tonight (Sat., Oct. 7, 2023) live on DAZN from inside Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England, delivering a blistering TKO stoppage over two-time IBF champion Josh Warrington.
Wood was coming off a win over Mauricio Lara in their rematch this past May in which he captured the vacant WBA featherweight title. This was his first scheduled defense of the belt with the winner expecting to meet No. 1-ranked contender Otabek Kholmatov by the end of the year.
This was not an easy outing for Wood. The veteran struggled in the early going to subdue the aggressive advancements inside by Warrington, even having his legs buckle after a combination in the third round. Wood would have trouble in the fourth frame as well and eventually had his right eye busted up and cut.
The 35-year-old veteran dug deep once again and found his window of opportunity for a comeback finish towards the end of the seventh round. Wood was able to capitalize with a sensational barrage of strikes that whipped Warrington back and forth before he eventually went down for the count. The referee had no choice but to step in and call a stop to the action.
This performance gives Wood his fifth victory in his last six trips to the boxing ring. Four of those wins have come by way of knockout or TKO, including an impressive stoppage over former Irish champion Michael Conlan back in 2022.
Check out Wood’s knockout finish over Warrington below:
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
