Kid Galahad Reacts To Josh Warrington Deciding To Vacate IBF World Featherweight Title
In a surprise, Josh Warrington has (30-0, 7 KOs) decided to vacate the IBF World Featherweight title. He cites the IBF’s refusal to sanction a proposed unification bout against WBA World ‘Regular’ Champion Can Xu (18-2, 3 KOs) as the reason for giving up the title. The sanctioning body had ordered Warrington to face mandatory challenger Kid Galahad (27-1, 16 KOs), who he defeated by split decision in June of 2019.
Upon hearing the news, Galahad sat down with iFL TV and gave his thoughts. The 30-year-old from Sheffield, England is frustrated he will not fight Warrington for a second time.
“I’m gutted, to be fair with you. I wanted my revenge with him, but it is what it is. What are you going to do? It’s just one of them things, isn’t it; with all the talk he’s been talking. Oh yeah, the champions this and champions do this and all this shit, he just talks complete shit when you think about it.
He’s like yeah you know, he wants these championship fights. Well, why are you going to have a championship fight when you’ve just vacated your championship?
At the end of the day, you have rules and regulations you’ve got to stick by them. When he signed up to fight for the IBF, he knew that. When he won his eliminator against Lee Selby, he knew he had to fight his mandatory, that’s just how it is.”
Warrington is now set to fight a non-title bout against Mauricio Lara (21-2, 14 KOs) on February 13 after negotiations for the bout with Xu fell through. Galahad feels Warrington has an untitled sense of self and is unwilling to take a true risk. He claims that his rival does not want to fight outside his hometown of Leeds, England.
Ranked number 1 by the IBF, Galahad will most likely fight for the vacant IBF world title at 126-pounds. As he told iFL TV, there is one ultimate goal.
“My eyes are on winning this world title now. I don’t look that far ahead. My aim is just to focus on winning this world title and that’s all I got to do.
Unifications, if they come down the road, they come down the road. But I just want to win a world title and defend it as many times as I can. And when the big fights come, they come.”
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
