Considering he gave the IBF featherweight title away 14 months ago. Josh Warrington looked a mighty relieved man to get his hands back on it last night as he stopped Kiko Martinez in seven rounds at the First Direct Arena, in Leeds. 

Warrington began like a whirlwind, dropping Martinez with a big right in the first. But after a horror 2021, having seen his career stall in 2020 during the pandemic, on this night he was simply irresistible. After threatening to stop Martinez in the first two rounds, he ended up breaking him down and busting him up, before seizing his chance to force the stoppage in the seventh round. 

Warrington knew it was his last chance. He didn’t need a second invitation.  

At 31, he is back where he was 14 months ago. A big summer fight with Leigh Wood, the WBA regular champion, a fight in the United States against Leo Santa Cruz or Emanuel Navarrete – for now everything is once again possible. 

A little over a year ago, Warrington, 31, seemed on the verge if some big fights. But having seen his career stalled by the pandemic in 2020, things fell apart last year. ;

This was his night, though. After a furious start that saw him knock down Martinez in the first round, he broke the champion down, busted him up and when his chance came, he took him out. 

Warrington beat Martinez in the same venue back in 2017, before he had become a world champion. That he was fighting the Spaniard again and for a world-title belt he had given away just 14 months ago, is a sign of how Warrington’s options have shrunk. 

He gave the IBF belt away to avoid a rematch with Kid Galahad in the hope that big fights would be coming. 

But he ended up on the wrong end of a fearsome mauling from Mauricio Lara, a little-known Mexican. And his hopes of revenge last year were ended when a clash of heads left Lara badly cut, leading to a technical draw. 

Meanwhile, Galahad won the vacant belt, only to lose it in a big upset in his first defence to Martinez. 

It was Martinez’s second reign as IBF champion, the first ended in 2014 when he was beaten by the now retired Carl Frampton. At 36, it is likely that his best days are behind him. 

The First Direct was a happy hunting ground for Warrington, though. This was his 11th fight at the venue - all wins. The noise as Warrington walked to the ring was deafening. 

Whether he was carried on by the emotion or not, Warrington had a brilliant start, spearing Martinez with jabs and the opening up with a series of hooks. A wide left hand seemed to cut Martinez on the nose, with the Spaniard complaining about a clash of heads. 

But moments later, Warrington landed a big right that sent Martinez to the canvas. 

Martinez was warned for hitting on the break and then landing one after the bell, but Warrington rushed out again at the start of the second round like he was intent on finishing things there and then.  

This time Martinez took it and, backed up against the ropes, he began firing back. 

At the start of the third round, Warrington looked to pace himself for the first time and establish his jab, although Martinez accepted the invitation to come forward, throwing hooks over the top of Warrington’s guard. 

Martinez was starting to look banged up, though, and Warrington forced him back to the ropes again in the fourth, trying to create an opening. There was more control in the fifth, as Warrington moved away and walked Martinez into a steady stream of counter punches. Cut over his left eye and with a badly damaged nose, Martinez was lifted off his stool by his cornerman at the start of the sixth. 

The round was a tough one for Martinez, who took a lot of punches, and he look unsteady on his feet was he walked back to the corner. 

Martinez came forward at the start of the seventh round but Warrington landed two big rights that staggered the champion. Martinez landed a right in response, but Warrington fired a right that sent Martinez back to the ropes. 

This time there was to be no escape, as Warrington opened up with both had driving Martinez back into the ropes with no let up until referee Marcus McDonnell dived in to stop the fight at 2:12 oof the seventh round. 

Ron Lewis is a senior writer for BoxingScene. He was Boxing Correspondent for The Times, where he worked from 2001-2019 - covering four Olympic Games and numerous world title fights across the globe. He has written about boxing for a wide variety of publications worldwide since the 1980s.