Frank Warren – Josh has beaten real good quality, top line fighters and done it in style. There is no doubt in my mind after beating Carl Frampton and Lee Selby that he is the best.
Santa Cruz and Valdez are the fights that he wanted, then this fight was ordered by the IBF and Kid Galahad got there obviously by his winning record and winning an eliminator that gave him mandatory position and I’m sure he is going to give all he can to take that title back to Sheffield, but I just feel that in fighting Josh he needs to step up quite a few bars to get to his level.
When Josh fought Selby, many journalists were calling Selby the best fighter in Britain and his last fight against Carl was the best fight I have seen in a British ring for a long, long time. Josh has got this engine that is unbelievable, with the amount of punches he throws and his tremendous fitness levels.
He has come through in style and not just nicked fights, he has won the fights emphatically. Josh was probably the unfancied guy in the division and his dad has done a great job in bringing him through and deserves all the accolades. Everybody in the trade knows that and the job Sean has done is a brilliant one.
Everybody has got respect for Dominic Ingle and he is a fantastic trainer who has done tremendously well and looks after a few fighters I promote. But, he will have to pull every stop out to get Kid here over the line. He is going to have to be something very special to beat this guy, because he is a special fighter.
Dominic Ingle
Naz (Naseem Hamed) had left the gym and we weren’t on particularly good terms with Naz, but he said to Barry that the only place to go if he wanted to become world champion was the Brendan Ingle gym in Sheffield – and that is where he ended up.
This fight on June 15 is going to represent 14 years of hard work we have put into it. Naz has been in to see Barry and made comments on Josh that I am not going to tell you, but he said some nice words to Barry and said to make sure he looks after his old belt when he gets it. I think Naz is going to be there on the night and it will be great if he is.
Did Sheffield United beat Leeds the other day? So it is one down, two to go – hopefully Leeds has got an ice hockey team we can beat.
We haven’t complained about the six week delay and we know he ain’t hurt his hand, but we don’t want to be beating a kid who is not fully prepared. He’s got an extra six weeks just to make sure he can get in shape. No excuses, no complaints, we want the best Josh Warrington on the night, that is what we want.
He’s got a good 12 weeks now and we know he’s been out and had a bit of a party and eaten a bit too much.
Kid Galahad
I met Naz in a local mosque and he said to become world champion I need to go and find the Ingle gym. It has been 14-15 years since then, training every day and being hard at it. We are finally here.
I knew the IBF are very strict so I knew this fight would be on. Frank said I was right at the bottom of the list, but look where I am now at the top of the list. There were a lot of complaints from his team about things and complaining about the 35 per cent split.
It doesn’t matter, does it? It is my destiny and I am here now and I am gonna rip that title from them in his home town. All the noise just comes with the territory. If you want to be a champion, this is what you’ve got to do.
Sean O’Hagan
I like him and I’ve known Barry a long time. We’ve crossed paths before and quite rightly because he is a professional but, to be fair, he should have stayed as an amateur. And I say that with the greatest of respect, I just think this is too big a step for him, I really do.
Saying that doesn’t mean we’ll be taking this lightly because we’ll be training like we are the challenger, like we always do. So we won’t hold anything back, we won’t be taking it lightly, we’ll just prepare as we always do and that is one hundred per cent focused and switched on. Then coming away: ‘And still’.
I promise you I will be bringing the very best Josh Warrington on that day.
Josh Warrington
We had some year last year, didn’t we, with two massive fights and two massive occasions. You’ve got to give it to Barry and how daft he is. B*ll*cks to his destiny. You make your bed and lie in it and you’re gonna get it on the night, simple as that.
I wanted to carry on with the journey and carry on winning belts and world titles by fighting the best in the division. Last year we had LEE SELBY and CARL FRAMPTON! Now we’ve got F**king Barry from Sheffield… You know what I mean. It just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
I want to go on and unify the division, I believe I am the best featherweight in the world and if you offered me Santa Cruz tomorrow I would take it, but as champion this is what you’ve got to do, you’ve got to defend your belt against all challengers and on June 15 Barry is in the way.
When you look at it and break it down, he is not as awkward as people make out, only if you give him the time. Look as his level of opposition – he is stepping up a level here and I won’t find him awkward.
JOSH WARRINGTON will make the second defence of his IBF world featherweight title against mandatory challenger Kid Galahad at the Leeds Arena on June 15th.
It will be a hometown return for Warrington in the all Yorkshire grudge match against his old amateur rival.
Warrington, 28, caused a big upset when he outpointed defending champion Lee Selby in front of 25,000 fans at Elland Road, home of his beloved Leeds United last May.
In December, he cemented his status as one of the boxing stars of 2018 with a thrilling points win against two weight world champion, Carl Frampton at Manchester Arena in his maiden defence.
Warrington (28-0) had being eyeing a unification clash against WBO champion, Oscar Valdez but the IBF ordered him to face Galahad and purses bids were won by the champion’s promoter, Frank Warren.
Galahad (26-0) was born in Qatar but lived in Sheffield for much of his life and learnt his skills under the tutelage of the late Brendan Ingle. He is now trained by Brendan’s son Dominic.
He became Warrington’s number one contender in October when he outpointed Toka Kahn Clary on his American debut in Boston in an IBF final eliminator.
Galahad, whose is also known as Barry Awad last boxed in December, easily outpointing Brayan Mairena over eight rounds.
Warrington, a former English, British, Commonwealth, European and WBC international champion boxed Galahad twice when they were amateurs winning both contests on points.
He said: “All of sudden people are saying I am capable of beating every featherweight in the world and with that comes expectation.
“I will go into this fight as the bookies’ favourite, but I will be 100 per-cent focused and looking to do a job.
“I knew Barry when we were amateurs and he was always a decent guy, but over the last few years he seems to have changed and put on some persona to blag fans, opponents or himself.
“He did well at super-bantamweight, but he has beaten nobody as a featherweight and he has lost respect from me for some of his antics.
“I want to be Ring Magazine champion, own all the belts and they are in touching distance. I can beat all the featherweights.
“I am concentrating purely on Barry, but after this I want one of the other world champions. I want champion after champion.”
Galahad won British, European, Commonwealth and international titles at super-bantamweight, and an IBF Intercontinental featherweight belt.
Galahad, 28, said: “Josh’s biggest asset is that people underestimate him and he is a lot better than what he looks.
“He’s strong, tough, durable and mentally strong, but I have the skill, will and mental toughness to beat him.
“He beat me fair and square when we were amateurs, but down the line I knew I would always fight him again. This is professional boxing, different game.
“Why am I the man to beat him? I know mentally that I am on a different level and I have the best team in British boxing.
“He is going to walk onto a shot, he is going to get hurt very badly and his dad who trains him will stop the fight because he will make an emotional decision and throw in the towel around round six, seven or eight.”
Warrington snapped back: “That prediction makes me giggle. It is funny how these scenarios get drawn up. He isn’t in touch with reality and talking daft. It is playground stuff.
“He can spout off what he likes, but when the first bell goes it will be me against him and we will see how special he and his team are then.”
BT Sport have the live and exclusive TV rights for Warrington v Galahad in the UK.
Tickets for Warrington v Galahad go on sale via firstdirectarena.com at 12pm on Friday 22nd March and are priced as below:
£450 – Hospitality
£300 – Floor
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Floor/Tier
£70 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier