Leeds Featherweight Stinker! Accidental Head Butt Leads to Draw in Warrington-Lara 2
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Leeds, UK (September 5th, 2021)– In the DAZN main event stinker of a nine bout card at Headingley Rugby League Stadium, Leeds, United Kingdom, the featherweight rematch between former International Boxing Federation World Featherweight champion Josh Warrington and Mauricio Lara ended in a second-round technical draw after an accidental clash of heads cut Lara over the right eye and ended the contest.
Warrington, who was down twice and stopped in the ninth round by Lara at Wembley Arena in February 2021, appeared to be slightly ahead on the punch count, and punches landed after the end of the first round, but it was a brief gutter war while it lasted. The roars of the crowd lit the fire for the main event, but the bizarre ending brought an abrupt end to what had to that point being, in the least, a decently competitive card. It was the first draw for both men in their professional boxing careers.
Lara, 23-2-1 with 16 knockouts, Mexico City, Mexico, and Warrington, 30-1-1 with six knockouts, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, might have to do again a third time. Who knows. Seven months later, the rematch lasted all of three minutes and 54 seconds before the referee and the ringside doctor called the bout to a halt, but that’s boxing.
Result: Josh Warrington Technical Draw 2 Mauricio Lara, Featherweights (0:54)
Referee Steve Gray stops the featherweight rematch main event contest in Leeds on the advice of the ringside doctor after an accidental clash of heads opens a cut over Lara’s left eye.
Undercard Results
Maxi Hughes Win 12 Jovanni Straffon, Lightweights
Hughes wins International Boxing Organization World Lightweight title
Scoring: 120-107, 120-107, 119-109 Hughes. Referee: Marcus McDonnell
IBO Supervisor: Andre Van Grootenbruel
24-5-2 Rossington Yorkshire southpaw Hughes outworked Mexico City’s 24-4-1 Straffon.
Katie Taylor Win 10 Jennifer Han, Lightweights (Two Minute Rounds)
19-0 Taylor, Bray, Ireland, retains the Lineal Female World Lightweight title
Taylor retains World Boxing Council Female World Lightweight title
Taylor retains World Boxing Association Female World Lightweight title
Taylor retains World Boxing Organisation Female World Lightweight title
Taylor retains International Boxing Federation Female World Lightweight title
Scoring: 100-89, 100-089, 100-89 Taylor. Han was down in the eighth round.
Referee: Mark Lyson. WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF Supervisor: Dennis Gilmartin
Conor Benn Win 10 Adrian Granados, Welterweights
Benn retains World Boxing Association Continental Welterweight title.
WBA Supervisor: Thomas Puetz
Scoring: 100-90, 99-91, 97-93 Benn. Referee: Howard Foster
Benn, 19-0 with 12 knockouts, Ilford, Essex, United Kingdom, outworked Granados, 21-9-3 with 15 knockouts, Woodland, Hills, California, and appeared to win every round. Benn threw more punches and missed many, but landed more effective blows moving forward as Granados fought moving backward, avoiding confrontational exchanges. Some holding.
Hoppy Price TKO 2 Zahid Hussein, Super Bantamweights (2:33)
6-0 Leeds southpaw Price wins vacant International Boxing Organization Super Bantamweight title. 16-1 Hussein down in the first round and second round. Both fighters cut.
Referee: Howard Foster. IBO Supervisor: Andre Van Grootenbruel.
Ebanie Bridges Win 8 Mailys Gangloff, Female Bantamweights (Two Minute Rounds)
Scoring: referee Steve Gray 77-76 for Australia’s 7-1 Bridges. Controversial decision. French fighter Gangloff appeared to win. The referee’s lone scorecard calls in by one point. Bridges broke her right hand in the second round.
Jack Bateson Win 6 Felix Garcia, Super Bantamweights
Scoring: Referee Mark Lyson 58-56 for Bateson
14-0 Leeds prospect Bateson came off the canvas in the second round to win over Spain’s Garcia.
Brandon Stansfield Win 4 M.J. Hall, Super Welterweights
Referee Steve Gray scored 40-36 for 2-0 Leeds prospect Stansfield. M.J. Hall is now 2-63-2.
Mali Wright Win Referee’s Technical Decision 2 Antony Woolery, Light Heavyweights
Pro debut for Chapeltown Yorkshire’s Wright. Referee Mark Lyson stops bout after the second round. Wolverhampton West Midlands journeyman Woolery falls to 2-7.
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