By Ian S Palmer
Lee Selby of Barry, Wales will be defending his IBF World Featherweight Championship for the fifth time this Saturday, May 19th when he takes on unbeaten Josh Warrington of Leeds at Elland Road in Leeds, England. The 12-round bout can be seen live on Showtime Facebook as well as You Tube. Fans in the UK and Ireland can catch the action on BoxNation. Selby last fought in December when he beat Eduardo Ramirez by a unanimous decision. Warrington’s last bout took place in October when he stopped Dennis Ceylan in the 10th round.
Selby won the crown by beating Evgeny Gradovich by technical decision in May of 2015. His first defence was a 12-round unanimous decision over Fernando Montiel and his second defence was against Eric Hunter in a fight he won by unanimous decision. He then beat Jonathan Barros by unanimous decision last July before beating Ramirez. Selby’s a solid pro, but naysayers feel he hasn’t proven himself against world class opposition and this could still be the case if he beats Warrington on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Selby enters the ring at 26-1 with 9 Kos and he’s won his last 22 contests. Selby should be confident heading into this fight after winning and defending the title a few times already, but definitely can’t afford to take Warrington lightly. There’s no hiding the fact Selby doesn’t offer much in the way of power with only nine stoppages to his name for a knockout ratio of just 33 per cent. The champion stands just over 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 69.5-inch reach and has fought 2017 rounds since turning pro in 2008.
Selby’s lone defeat came against Samir Mouneimne via a four-round decision back in 2009. Other than Barros, Gradovich, Hunter, Montiel and Rendall Munroe, the champion hasn’t really fought anybody in the Grade A level. He won the title when Gradovich couldn’t continue after eight rounds in their bout because of a cut over his eye which was caused by an accidental clash of heads. The fight went to the scorecards with Selby ahead by a wide margin on tall three scorecards. Still, Selby’s beaten everybody he’s faced in the past six years so it’s hard to knock him.
The 27-year-old Warrington enters the contest with a perfect record of 26-0 with 6 Kos. Yes, that’s just six stoppages which means he’s even less dangerous then Selby with a current knockout ratio of just 23 per cent. He’s 5-feet-7-inches tall with an unlisted reach so is 1.5-inches shorter than the champ. He turned pro in 2009 and has boxed 193 rounds since then. As a pro, Warrington has captured several regional and minor titles including the English, British, Commonwealth, European and WBC International Featherweight Titles.
This is a big domestic fight in the UK and that’s where Warrington has fought all his bouts. He’s faced several of the same opponents as Selby as well. Warrington’s most recognizable foes have been Patrick Hyland, Rendall Munroe, Martin Lindsay, Hisashi Amagasa, Kiko Martinez and Ceylan. Like Selby, Warrington’s a fine boxer with a solid chin and heart, but lacks power. He’ll definitely be motivated though and this should be a close contest.
Prediction…
Selby and Warrington are both light punchers, but their boxing skills are underrated by most. There’s a good chance this fight will go the distance with each boxer having their moments. It’s a big domestic clash with Warrington having the hometown advantage. This should be an entertaining and close contest, but I think Selby will retain his title by win or draw.
