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Leeds United patriot admits: “I should have made major career change years ago…”

Leeds Warrior Josh Warrington admits he should have moved up a weight class ‘years ago’ but will not spend time regretting the decision as he looks to win his first contest at super featherweight.

The well-known Leeds United fan will face Belfast boxer Anthony Cacace at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night for the IBO super featherweight title.

The contest was originally set to be for the IBF crown as well, but the governing body said Warrington was not eligible to fight for the belt due to his ‘inactivity’ at super featherweight. It is a decision that has frustrated Warrington, who is a two-time IBF champion at featherweight.

The Leeds fighter has spent his whole career at 126 pounds but will move up to challenge Cacace who won the IBF super featherweight belt with victory over Joe Cordina earlier this year.

“I can’t cry over spilt milk, but I do wish I’d have done it a few years ago,” Warrington told Matchroom Boxing of his decision to step up to 130 pounds. “Obviously it’s a new division for me. I’m coming off nearly a year-long lay-off, which is no good for any fighter – especially a fighter that is getting to the latter stages of his career. “I’m a fighter who is used to being out two, three, four times a year. The last two or three years have been so inconsistent. So, it’s not great, but with that being said he’s got a few more years on me. I’m a lot more experienced and I’ve been in the harder fights. I’m up for the challenge and I feel like I’ve had the bit between my teeth.”

Warrington ready for battle

Warrington has won just one of his last five fights and will be looking to get back to winning ways against Cacace as part of a blockbuster night of boxing that will be headlined by Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight world title after it was vacated by undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

“He’s going to feel like he can beat me because going off my last fight I got stopped,” continued Warrington. “I got caught with one shot and I was done. His record doesn’t suggest it, but he can bang, and I know he can bang. Carl (Frampton) has sparred him and said many a time that he’s one of the strongest guys that he’s sparred with. But then again, I’ve looked over some of his fights. I’m not Lyon Woodstock, I’m not a weight drained Joe Cordina.

“I’m not just going to stand in front of him. He’s already made it quite clear that I just bomb forward and thrown punches, and that’s all you’re going to get. He can box and he can do this and that – people don’t really give me credit for my boxing ability. Yes, I’m not on the back foot counterpunching but I can go on the back foot and box. I’m not a long fencer and I’m not hands down elusive, but I can box. I can come forward and I can mix it with anybody.

“He’s no stronger puncher than any other man that I’ve been in with. Yeah, he’ll be able to bang but I don’t think he’ll be able to out muscle me. He’s going to punch down to me and he certainly won’t outwork me – not over 12, it’s not long enough. It’s easy to look and say that he’ll do this and do that against Josh Warrington but when I’m in there and in front of you it’s a different story.”

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