Josh Warrington and Kid Galahad battle to a very close decision!
Josh Warrington came into this IBF mandated bout looking to make the second defense of his title.
On paper, this was a tough one to call as Kid Galahad is known for his slickness and ability to evade shots.
In contrast, the champion made his name by using an unorthodox style with relentless pressure that has confused the likes of Lee Selby and Carl Frampton.
Feeling Each Other Out
The tone of this bout started off with the slicker fighter trying to find his rhythm amidst the pressure of the champion. Warrington did very well in the early rounds backing the challenger up and using brute force to entice the judges to give him the early rounds.
Although, Galahad has no problems fighting off the back-foot and often prefers to be there so he can counter the incoming opposition, the judges can easily be persuaded to award the champion more rounds due to “effective aggression.”
Now Things Get Interesting
However, by the second quarter of this fight, the challenger found his rhythm. It was like a light bulb illuminated in his head as by round five, he was able to make Warrington miss continuously.
The Yorkshire native displayed the prestige of his footwork and boxing IQ as he would turn the champion off pivots, making him miss wildly many times.
In addition, where Galahad could not pivot and Warrington would get in close, he would tie the Leeds native up or step in, causing the champion to smother his punches.
This would set the new tone of the fight. Round after round, Warrington would try to keep the his slick opponent on the back-foot and trapped against the ropes. On the other hand, Galahad would seek to land counters while using the aggression of the champion against him.
This bout was literally a back and fourth affair that could have gone either way. The way one would score this fight really depended on what the viewer liked more out of a figther. Effective aggression or defensive prowess?
Who Won?
In the end, the judges would come up with a split decision victory for the champion. The scorecards read 115-113 for Galahad and 116-113, 116-112 for Warrington.
3kingsboxing.com had it 115-113 for Galahad. However, with a fight this close, allowing the champion to keep the belt is plausible.
While the challenger did a good job of making the champion work for opportunities, he would have needed a little more volume to fully convince the judges he was the rightful victor.
Warrington improves to 29-0 with 6 knockouts and makes the second defense of the IBF featherweight title. There are opportunities of a unification at hand against the likes of Oscar Valdez, Gary Russell Jr and Leo Santa Cruz.
Additionally, there is an up and coming fighter who has continuously called him out by the name of Shakur Stevenson as well!
By: EJ Williams
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