Will Leigh Wood or Josh Warrington have last laugh in curt rivalry?

Tucked away at a small table with Eddie Hearn last November, Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington were perched with a peculiar air about them.

The pair, proud domestic fighters who scaled the world at the peak of their powers, are dressed in their coats, hands jammed into pockets.

Without context, without the hoardings selling an imminent rematch, you could be forgiven for assuming this is two men at a breakfast cafe.

Wood and Warrington are two fry-ups away from the spitting image of labourers ready to fortify themselves for the day, black coffee on the side.

The Ring

This is no cosy catch-up. Boxing has its share of bad blood, and in an era of social media sleuths, it's hard to sometimes separate fact from fiction.

Here, however, are two men who, if at the very least respectful of their reputations, are hell-bent on settling scores before they quit the ring for good.

In another world, this might have been a stadium-shifting affair, held at the City Ground or Elland Road, a true celebration of local roots and pride.

Tonight, Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena will be the room where these two make what could be a last stand - and seek to earn the last laugh.

Road to Rocky Redemption

To understand the brusque air between these two, you have to chart a path back before they even met as professionals, to their tenures at the top.

Two years younger than his rival, Warrington nevertheless broke out before Wood, a proud West Yorkshireman who worked the circuit like a pro.

Boxing has always had a place in this part of the world, but it has been neighbouring Sheffield, just down the M1, that has produced the real stars.

Warrington was something different, a genuine local hero for the LS postcode. He could shift five-figure numbers against names nobody had heard of.

When he claimed the IBF featherweight title by split decision against Lee Selby at Elland Road, it marked the summit of a remarkable, hard-earned rise.

A string of successive defences seemed to have him primed for unification, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the brakes - and Warrington stumbled.

He lost to Mauricio Lara on his return, then saw their rematch cut short as a technical draw. A victory over Kiko Martinez started a second IBF reign.

Defeat to Luis Alberto Lopez, however, meant he headed to Sheffield in 2023 knowing that any hope of a third reign would come through Wood.

Stars aligned to settle scores

The latter was riding high. After setbacks and near-misses, he had inherited the WBA crown from Leo Santo Cruz and regathered it against Mauricio Lara.

Warrington fancied his chances, and across the first six rounds, it looked like he would do the job - before Wood caught him flush in the seventh.

Both men had plenty of bite for the other afterwards. Warrington felt the result was unfair to his efforts. Wood thought his rival didn't show him enough.

A rematch has bubbled away in the background ever since, but various factors have conspired to keep it on the back burner and away from their fans.

(Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Lengthy injury problems left Wood sidelined for long periods. Warrington moved on to other fish a year later, losing to Anto Cacace at Wembley Stadium.

'The Leeds Warrior' was not the only man felled by the Northern Irishman. Wood himself would come up short in a clash with the star last year.

Finally, the stars aligned to bring them back to each other - and when they met late last year for the aforementioned table chat, it was clear grudges remained.

Now, this evening, they will have the chance to sort their beef. One thing seems certain: This will be the final word in the matter, come hell or high water.

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