Leigh Wood effectively ended his long rivalry with Josh Warrington at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night. Wood used a disciplined performance from the southpaw to secure a unanimous decision win over twelve rounds.
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The scorecards reflected Wood’s control throughout the night. The judges had it 119-109, 119-110 and 117-111. By staying in the right spots and landing regular counters, Wood beat his rival a second time and finally put the rivalry to bed.
Hout seized control from the outset by turning southpaw. That single move changed everything. Wood kept his hands low and relied on his reflexes to force the 35-year-old Warrington into periods of hesitation. As Warrington tried to come in with his usual pressure, Wood continued to pick him apart with sharp, timed shots.
The early rounds followed a steady pattern. Wood remained calm and picked his spots. Warrington struggled to find clean openings, despite landing a straight right hand in the second round. Wood’s nose began to bleed early, but his footwork continued to spoil Warrington’s rhythm.
Wood looked more confident as the rounds went by. He stepped around the heavier exchanges and fired sharp shots every time Warrington tried to close the gap. A left leg in the fourth round specifically caught Warrington’s attention. Although Warrington remained determined and continued to press the action, he was often forced to reset after being countered.
In the middle rounds, Warrington tried to increase his output, but he was unable to build a sustained attack. Wood held firm and made sure Warrington never found the rhythm he needed to flip the script.
By the later laps, Wood was showing facial damage, but his control of the pace remained intact. Warrington continued their forward march but did not have the answers to Wood’s defensive discipline. Neither man scored a takedown, and when the final bell rang, the result was a formality.
The win moves Wood to 29-4, while Warrington drops to 32-5-1.
“I worked hard for this and my team worked hard,” Wood said after the fight. “I’m not going to make a decision about my future tonight, but if it’s the last one, what a fight to go out.”
Warrington was honest about the struggles he faced in the ring. “I could see what Leigh was doing and I just couldn’t capitalize on it,” he admitted. “I was off the pace. I tried my best and I wanted it.”
Wood’s performance removed any doubt from their first meeting, leaving Warrington with no path to victory.
Last updated on 02/21/2026 at 18:24
