Some boxers and pundits believe the fight should’ve been stopped earlier
The full extent of the injuries obtained by Leeds boxer Josh Warrington from the first defeat of his professional career were made clear.
Warrington was floored by Mauricio Lara in the fourth round of the bout, and was seen staggering around the ring, leading many to call for the fight to be stopped, even before he was knocked out in the ninth round.
It has been confirmed that Warrington suffered a fractured jaw, perforated eardrum and an injured shoulder in his loss to Lara at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.
The 30-year-old skipped the customary post-fight interviews after being taken to hospital for a brain scan after suffering a concussion, but said in an interview on YouTube on Sunday:
“I have a little bit of a fracture on my jaw. I should have boxed and made it clever. I should have stuck to the boxing and made it easier for myself. I got drawn into the fight in the first round and got caught a few times after.”
Warrington went into the fight against the Mexican as the heavy favourite, with bookmakers offering odds of 1/25 for him to dispatch the 22-year-old.
Speaking to IFL TV after the fight, fight promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the extent of Warrington’s concussion, saying that Warrington “has to rest”.
“He couldn’t believe what had happened. You could tell he was concussed. He has to rest. We told him and the British Boxing Board of Control told him he must go to hospital,” he said.
“He will be back. It’s going to take him a while as it was a brutal fight. If there’s a rematch it will be epic. Right now it’s about making sure he’s fit, safe and healthy so he can recover.”
THE FIGHT SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED❌@boxingbooth and @SkyJohnnyNelson both agreed that Josh Warrington should have been stopped by the referee in the fourth round or pulled out by his corner☝️ pic.twitter.com/Lp5K4VKVg7
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 14, 2021
Speaking on Sky Sports after the fight, pundits Adam Booth and Johnny Nelson criticised authorities for not stopping the fight in either the fourth or fifth round.
“I don’t think he knew what he was doing from that point (in the fourth round) on. He didn’t look like he knew where he was, and it looked like a knockout waiting to happen from that point on,” said Booth.
“I didn’t enjoy watching it, to be honest, because I don’t think it should have carried on.”
