Josh Warrington v Kid Galahad: Preview
Josh Warrington returns to Leeds for the first time as a defending world champion when he defends his IBF Featherweight Title against Mandatory challenger and Yorkshire rival Kid Galahad on Saturday.
Warrington (28-0 6KOs) comes into the bout of the back of his first defence against former unified Super Bantamweight and WBA ‘Super’ Featherweight Champion Carl Frampton in December.
Galahad (26-0 15KOs) earned his mandatory spot after a unanimous decision victory over Toka Kahn Clary in Boston last October and is hoping to join a list of World Champions from Sheffield that includes the likes of Kell Brook and Johnny Nelson.
This contest will be the first World Title bout in which Josh Warrington goes in as the bookies favourite, after being the underdog against Frampton and Lee Selby.
Galahad, who was suspended between 2014 and 2016 due to a failed drugs test, will have it all to do against both Warrington and his home crowd at the First Direct Arena.
Elsewhere on the card, two beaten young Super Featherweight prospects will lock horns when Zelfa Barrett and Lyon Woodstock take to the ring for the vacant Commonwealth strap
Barrett (21-1 13KOs) is the slight favourite going into the contest as he looks to push on from his shock defeat to Ronnie Clark back in February of last year.
Also in action on the night, James Metcalf will be looking to add the second title to his resume when he challenges for the vacant Commonwealth Super Welterweight title against former world title challenger Jason Welborn.
Metcalf (19-0 11KOs), who won the WBC International Super Welterweight strap back in 2018 is looking to push on for bigger fights and a victory over Welborn would do just that.
However, Welborn (24-7 7KOs) will be coming to fight and looking to return to world level after his 3rd round stoppage loss to Jarrett Hurd in December on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s showdown with Deontay Wilder.
Undefeated prospects Lyndon Arthur (14-0), Troy Williamson (10-0-1) and Alex Dickinson (10-0) will all be in action alongside Mark Heffron (22-1) who is continuing his comeback after his unsuccessful challenge for the British Middleweight Title where he suffered a 10th round stoppage to Liam Williams.