Josh Warrington has had to do “everything in his power” to secure a rematch against British featherweight rival Leigh Wood.
Warrington, 35, lost a WBA title fight to Wood, 37, in Sheffield in controversial circumstances in October 2023.
The pair will now face off for a second time in Wood’s home city at the Nottingham Arena on 21 February.
“From my perspective the rematch was spoken about straight away. I was frustrated because I thought the second fight would be even bigger than the first one,” Warrington told BBC Radio Leeds.
“It’s a frustration of the sport. I’ve had to do everything in my power to get the fight on, if it meant me wearing pink shorts and walking to the ring with a daft hat on my head I’d have done it. I’d have fought him in his backyard.
“I’m that desperate to put to bed what I think should have happened in the first fight.
“I think Leigh has been a bit of a diva over the past few years but he wants to fight there. He wants to fight there [in Nottingham] and I’m fine with that.”
Wood, who was the defending champion, won the initial bout after Michael Alexander deemed that Warrington could not continue after being knocked down at the end of the seventh round.
The former IBF world champion said he felt like he was “hard done by” by the referee’s decision.
“Leigh caught me with a good shot at the end of the round, he says it was well-timed I say lucky, and it buzzes me and I go down to the canvas,” Warrington added.
“When I was down the bell rang for the end of the round and I got up and went to walk to my corner. I could hear him counting ‘six, seven, eight’ and when I turned around he was already waving his arms to say the fight was over.
“I later found out I was up in every round on the judges’ scorecards so I feel hard done by and think I should have been given the benefit of the doubt.”
