JOSH WARRINGTON has insisted “timing is everything” as he prepares for his featherweight IBF title challenge against Lee Selby on May 19.
The fight will be staged at Elland Road, the football ground of Warrington’s beloved Leeds United, and the 27-year-old believes the home advantage will play majorly in his favour.
“It gives me advantages of feeding off the crowd’s energies,” Warrington said. “I’ve boxed away from home, I’ve boxed at home and I prefer to fight in front of my home crowd it’s nice to have so many people cheering for you.
“It’s ideal when it’s on your doorstep, Elland Road is about ten minutes away from my house I’ve got home comforts and everything else.
“We’ve got 20,000 nutters screaming and shouting my name so I’m going to feed off that energy and the crowd so it’s going to be exciting.”
Selby is defending his IBF title he won against Evgeny Gradovich in May of 2015, but his age of 31 and following rumours featherweight is a struggle for the Welshman lead Warrington to take confidence.
“Timing is everything in boxing, many people have said before, and it’s quite well known in the boxing circle, he struggles at the weight,” Warrington said. “Timing is everything and this is my time time now to win a world title.”
Warrington has hardly put a foot wrong on his way to 25 straight wins, picking up European, British and Commonwealth title successes along the way.
The Yorkshireman has always entered fights as the favourite, but acknowledges he is the underdog prior to his first world title challenge, something he sees as an advantage.
Warrington said, “One advantage I see is this time round I’m going there as an underdog, and it doesn’t bother me whatsoever.
“Prior, when I’ve had the big crowd behind me I’ve always been seen as the favourite and I think there’s a little bit less pressure as Selby’s expected to win.
“The way I look at it is it’s a two horse race with two men going in there so sometimes it comes down to who wants it more and I certainly want this real bad, I don’t know how much he wants it with the way he’s overlooked me.
“Don’t get me wrong I do think he’ll be taking it seriously and will be training hard but I’ve worked hard to get to where I am and I do think this is my time.”
