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By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten #1 WBC featherweight contender Josh Warrington (24-0, 5 KOs) hammered an over-matched 32-year-old Patrick Hyland (31-3, 15 KOs) into submission in stopping him in the 9th round on Saturday night at the First Direct Arena, in Leeds, United Kingdom.
By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten #1 WBC, #5 IBF, #11 WBA featherweight contender Josh Warrington (23-0, 4 KOs) successfully weighed in on Friday for his fight against former world title challenger Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) on Saturday night at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. The Warrington vs. Hyland fight is the main event, but I see it as a poor fight for a main event. I like the undercard fight between heavyweight Dillian Whyte and Dave Allen as the far better match-up. I think Whyte has potential champion some day. With Warrington, I don’t think he’ll ever win a world title. He’s too weak of a puncher, and there are too many quality fighters in the division that he fights in.
The 32-year-old Hyland failed to make weight at 128 ¼ pounds. It pretty much doesn’t because the fight isn’t for a world title or any kind of eliminator. If it were a title eliminator, I’d like to think that a better fighter than the non-ranked Hyland could be found to face Warrington. But then again, Warrington is arguably no better than a bottom 15 fringe contender in my opinion.
By Scott Gilfoid: #1 WBC, #5 IBF #11 WBA featherweight contender Josh Warrington (23-0, 4 KOs) will be inside the ring this Saturday night fighting 32-year-old Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. Warrington, 25, wants a world title shot, be it against Gary Russell Jr, Lee Selby or Oscar Valdez.
Rightly or wrongly, Warrington will soon be getting a title shot against one of the champions at featherweight. He might not like the results of the fight, but he’ll get his title shot as long as he gets past former world title challenger Hyland on Saturday night. Warrington is supposed to beat Hyland, but you never know. If Warrington gets too brave, he might run into something. Don’t say I didn’t warn him if that happens.
By Stephen Wilkinson: This Saturday night sees unbeaten Featherweight Josh Warrington (23-0, 4 KO’s) headline a stacked card in his hometown of Leeds against Irish fringe contender Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KO’s).
Warrington, who has a future showdown with IBF kingpin Lee Selby firmly on his radar, is sure to expect a hard night’s work against the tough Hyland and cannot afford any complacency if he wishes to fulfill his world title aspirations. Hyland has himself recently challenged for world honors, falling to a 2nd round TKO defeat to Gary Russel Jr for the WBC Featherweight strap.
By Scott Gilfoid: #1 WBC, #5 IBF featherweight contender Josh Warrington (23-0, 4 KOs) isn’t overlooking his next fight against the 32-year-old Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) on July 30 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. Warrington, 25, sees this as a tough test despite the fact that Hyland was blown out of the water in just two rounds in his last fight against WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. last April.
Warrington will soon have to face one of the featherweight champions. He’s been nursing his unbeaten record by taking on weak opposition in record-padding fights since he turned pro in 2009. The fights against weak opposition will need to stop when he finally faces the likes of Russell Jr. or IBF champion Lee Selby.
By Scott Gilfoid: Former world title challenger Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) will be playing the role of a spoiler this month when he faces undefeated featherweight contender #2 WBC, #5 IBF Josh Warrington (23-0, 4 KOs) in the main event on July 30 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
Warrington, 24, is in the prime position to get a world title shot against one of the featherweight champions. Warrington doesn’t figure to beat any of the champions. He doesn’t have the pop in his punches for him to do that in my estimation, but he’ll at least get a nice little payday. However, Hyland can act as the gatekeeper to prevent Warrington from getting his title shot if he can somehow beat him this month.
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.
By Jim Dower: As everyone expected, WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. (27-1, 16 KOs) had no problems dispatching the over-matched visiting Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) in stopping him in just two rounds on Showtime Boxing from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
NEW YORK (April 7, 2016) – The boxers who will be fighting Saturday, April 16 on a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® world title doubleheader are deep into their respective training camps as they continue preparation for their bouts at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.
In the main event, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT), the talented and speedy southpaw Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) makes the first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Title against Irish contender Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs). In the SHOWTIME co-feature, unbeaten sniper Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) risks his IBF 130-pound world title as he defends his title for the second time against a mandatory challenger, Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs).