Josh Warrington sets sights on fighting WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz in America
‘The Leeds Warrior’ also wants to face Mauricio Lara and Leigh Wood.
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Your support makes all the difference.Josh Warrington wants to take on WBA super-featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz in America in his next fight.
Warrington became a two-time world champion when he stopped Spain’s Kiko Martinez on Saturday to regain the IBF featherweight title in his home city of Leeds.
‘The Leeds Warrior’ said: “Santa Cruz is a name I’ve been shouting out for a long time. He was the champion when I first won the title back in 2018.
“It’s got the attachment of going to America. How long have I been saying I want to go to the States?
“I’ve done everything I want to do over here in terms of the venues I want to fight in.
“It’s just something personal, a personal goal I want to achieve by fighting in America, in someone else’s backyard. Santa Cruz in the States.”
Warrington, recovering from a broken jaw and left hand, which he sustained against Martinez, said he also envisaged future fights against Santa Cruz’s Mexican compatriot Mauricio Lara and Nottingham’s WBA champion Leigh Wood.
The Yorkshireman added: “I feel like I’ve got power back in my hands. Those three fights would be fantastic.
“Santa Cruz, then putting Lara to bed and then Leigh Wood, a big domestic showdown at the City Ground.
“That would be fantastic. I would be more than happy with that. Let’s just see what happens.”
Warrington first won the IBF crown via a split points decision against Lee Selby in 2018 and defended it three times before vacating the belt and then suffering a shock first career defeat to Lara in February last year.
A rematch with Lara at Headingley last September ended in a disappointing technical draw after the Mexican was cut by an accidental clash of heads.
But Warrington is again on top of the world after storming back to his whirlwind best to stop Martinez in the seventh round last weekend at the First Direct Arena.
His only disappointment is the injuries he sustained, which will keep him out of the gym for six weeks, scuppering his hopes of another big fight in June or July.
“I thought I could be out in June, and then October, three times this year,” Warrington said.
“So it’s a bit of a stumbling block. “Six weeks (out) is a killer, absolute killer.”
The 31-year-old revealed he had had a plate inserted into his jaw and joked he had lost weight since fight-night – down to 9st 8lbs from 9st 10lbs – due a liquid diet.
He added: “I’ve had a Mars bar put in the blender to have a milkshake. I’ve considered putting a kebab, fish and chips and a Big Mac in the blender, but it wouldn’t be the same.”