Preview: Wood and Warrington meet in potential all-time classic

British boxing fans are in for a treat this Saturday night as Leigh Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) and Josh Warrington (31-2-1, 8 KOs) clash on home soil for the WBA featherweight world title. The atmosphere in Sheffield will be electric as the arena acts as a middle ground for both sets of fight fans. The football club backing behind both men is likely to bring one of the best atmospheres you will see at a fight, with Leigh Wood having the backing of Nottingham Forest and Josh Warrington having the Leeds United fan base behind him. Both men are known to thrive off the crowd and the environment will only add to the fight, that already has all the ingredients to produce fireworks. This fight could well go down in the history books as an all British classic and ultimately will reveal who is the best featherweight in the country, in a division that is packed with domestic talent.

The pair met at a final press conference in Sheffield today. *Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.*

Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington are two fighters that have never shied away from a challenge and have consistently fought the best in the division over the years. Young boxers and prospects should look up to these men as they show how it should truly be done in order to gain respect at the top level of the sport. The pair have jumped in with the most dangerous at world level, even after defeats, and have not taken the easy route. The fight is supposedly a must win for both men at this stage of their careers. However, the loser should not be written off but instead commended for taking the fight and rolling the dice yet again to provide fans with the best fights.

The fight is that good a match up that this may not be the only time the pair meet, and we may have a future trilogy or follow up fight on our hands. Theoretically, the pair have the backing to sell out the Nottingham Forest ground to which Wood has been contractually promised by Eddie Hearn in his next fight. A rematch could be the fight that does those numbers and may be the route that the fighters will go down toward the end of their careers. A unification fight against Luis Alberto Lopez is also a route for the winner. Despite what may be in the horizon, Saturday should not be overlooked but embraced by true boxing enthusiasts. Both men are two-time world champions, and both look to secure their legacy in the sport. The pair will leave it all in the ring on Saturday night as one thing they are not short of is heart.

The co-main event will see Terri Harper (14-1, 6 KOs) defend her WBA world title against Cecilia Braekhus (37-2, 9 KOs). Despite Braekhus supposedly been past her peak and now at age 42, the fight is a solid test for Harper and the Norwegians experience will certainly play a part in the fight. Both women have only fallen short to one opponent at world level and the fight is without doubt a solid match up.

Stand out fights on the card include Hopey Price (11-0, 4 KOs) in a final eliminator for the British title against undefeated Connor Coghill (14-0, 1 KO) and Keiron Conway (19-3-1, 4 KOs) in a fight against Linus Udofia (18-1, 9 KOs) for the WBA Inter-continental title at middleweight.