By Scott Gilfoid: Undefeated #2 WBC, #6 IBF, #10 WBA featherweight contender Josh Warrington (23-0, 4 KOs) will be back inside the ring next month on July 30th against 32-year-old former world title challenger Patrick Hyland (31-2, 16 KOs) at the First Direct Arena, in Leeds.
Hyland looked dreadful in his last fight in getting obliterated in a 2nd round knockout by WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. last April. Hyland was knocked down three times in round two and badly knocked out.
As bad as Hyland was knocked out, I’m surprised he’ll be back in the ring so soon in an important contest against Warrington. It’s not nearly as dangerous for Hyland as his match against Russell Jr. though, because Warrington can’t punch at all. The only thing Hyland has to worry about is suffering a bad cut from a head-butt or a slicing punch.
Warrington, 24, could have been fighting for a world title fight against IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby, but he failed to take the fight. Selby was none too happy about it. Selby says he won’t be throwing a bone to Warrington again. If he wants a world title shot against him and his IBF belt, he’ll need to become the mandatory challenger.
At No.6 with the IBF, it might take a while before Warrington gets locked into that spot. I’m not sure if Selby will actually make Warrington wait for him to become the mandatory challenger, because he might get beaten if the International Boxing Federation makes him fight #5 IBF Oscar Valdez.
Warrington seems like a decent contender, but I don’t give him a ghost of a chance against a talent like Valdez. That would be a sick fight that would likely end badly for the feather-fisted Warrington. Likewise, if the IBF orders Warrington to fight #3 IBF Jonathan Barros, I don’t think it will end will for Warrington. They can put that fight in Leeds in front of Warrington’s fans, and I see him getting obliterated by Barros. As such, I’m sure Selby’s promoter Eddie Hearn will convince him to change his mind about not wanting to give Warrington a second chance at fighting him for his IBF title.
The Warrington-Hyland fight will be televised on Sky Sports on July 30.
Josh Warrington will face recent world title challenger Patrick Hyland in Leeds on July 30, live on Sky Sports.
“(The line is) drawn, he’s missed his chance. The only chance he’s got now is becoming the mandatory,” said Selby to skysports.com. “I’ve seen reports their plan now is to become mandatory, where they only take 25% of the purse. And I couldn’t see him winning a final eliminator.”
Of course, I think it goes without saying that if the IBF shows Warrington some tough love by ordering him to fight someone actually good like Oscar Valdez, he’ll stand absolutely no chance of winning that fight in my view. I mean, I don’t think Hearn would be crazy enough to give the green light on a Warrington vs. Oscar Valdez fight.
That would be like agreeing to have Warrington smashed, and I don’t see Hearn letting that happen. If Selby doesn’t give Warrington a fight straightaway without him having to earn it by fighting someone good, then I see Hearn moving Warrington in another direction.
Unfortunately, I don’t know where Hearn can move Warrington. He’s blocked in every direction. If Hearn puts Warrington in with WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., it’ll be a mismatch. If Hearn matches Warrington against the two WBA champions Leo Santa Cruz and Jesus Andres Cuellar, it’ll be the same thing with Warrington likely getting bludgeoned into submission.
WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko is expected to vacate his WBO featherweight title soon. However, the No.1 contender for that belt is you know who, Oscar Valdez. Warrington DEFINITELY cannot go in that direction. The only thing I see for Warrington is a payday fight against Selby, which I cannot see him winning or even being competitive in. Warrington really struggled in his last fight against Hisashi Amagasa last April in beating the Japanese fighter by a 12 round unanimous decision. We saw in that fight that Warrington was just barely better than this guy.
Hopefully for Warrington’s sake, Selby will see how poor his position is and will just give him a title shot without him having to earn it by fighting Valdez or Barros, because if he fights those guys, I don’t think he’ll ever get a world title shot.
“Warrington vs Hyland is a fight that we’ve looked to make in the past and it’s a real crossroads clash,” said Hearn skysports.com. “Patrick has only had two defeats both in world title challenges, while Josh is set for his first shot at a world crown later this year – victory for both men on July 30 is vital.”
I wouldn’t call it a crossroads fight for the unbeaten Warrington. Even if Hyland whips him, I’m sure Hearn will still get him a title shot against Selby. But I think it’s already academic that Warrington has no place to go in the featherweight division as far as him winning a world title. I don’t see that as a physical possibility.