Wood dictates distance in unanimous decision win at Nottingham
Leigh Wood secured a wide unanimous decision over Josh Warrington in their rematch at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena. The cleaner punching and range discipline left little doubt, and Warrington afterward openly questioned whether he should continue.
The judges scored it 119-109, 119-109 and 117-111.
Wood (29-4) settled quickly into a southpaw stance and worked behind the jab. He set his base, slowed the pace, and delivered straight left hands and short combinations from mid-range. Warrington (31-5) struggled to close distance with consistent pressure and often found himself reaching.
The early rounds were competitive but tactical. Wood’s punch selection separated him as the fight progressed. He rebuilt his stance after combinations, kept his guard disciplined, and picked his spots instead of forcing exchanges. In the fifth, a sharp combination snapped Warrington’s head back. Warrington answered with a right hand that drew blood from Wood’s nose, yet he could not string together enough combinations to shift momentum.
Warrington’s legs slowed as the rounds wore on. He followed rather than cutting the ring and rarely doubled the jab to back Wood up. By the middle rounds, Wood occasionally carried his hands low, inviting pressure that never fully materialized.
From the corner, Sean O’Hagan urged Warrington forward and predicted Wood would tire. That moment never came. Wood maintained steady workrate, circled out of exchanges, and continued landing the cleaner shots.
In the championship rounds, Warrington needed a knockdown. He pressed in spots but could not trap Wood along the ropes long enough to let combinations go. Wood stayed composed and closed the fight without incident.
Afterward, Warrington addressed the reality.
“It’s too tough a game to be turning up for an opponent and being second best,” he said. “I’m a winner. The will to win is always going to be there but when something is missing it’s too dangerous of a sport. I’m 35 now, I’ve got three beautiful kids at home and it’s like how much do you keep on giving?”
Wood, 37, also acknowledged the toll.
“What a fight to finish on if that is the last one. It’s getting harder and harder to be away from my kids. They sacrifice as much as me,” he said.
The win keeps Wood relevant in the division, though both men now face decisions beyond rankings and belts. The rematch lacked the volatility of their first meeting, but this time the result was decisive.