Josh Warrington vs Carl Frampton: IBF champion retains title as Frampton ponders retirement
Follow latest reaction from the Manchester Arena
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Your support makes all the difference.Josh Warrington defeated Carl Frampton in one of the fights of the year, retaining his IBF featherweight championship and sending him on to greater things in an attempt to unify the division.
Leeds-born Warrington exploded out of the blocks in the very first round and nearly knocked Frampton down, with the former two-weight world champion only just surviving to the bell and suffering the same barrage in the second. Frampton recovered to make a fight of it in a scrap that developed into a classic, but Warrington proved a class above throughout and again nearly finished it in the 12th.
Re-live all the action here.
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Preview
When and where is the fight?
The bout will take place on December 22nd at the Manchester Arena, it was initially set to take place in a stadium but concerns over dates and mandatory challengers meant Warren settled with selecting an arena.
Ring walks will take place around 10pm but as always is the way with boxing, that is subject to change.
Where can I watch it?
It will be shown live on BT Sport Box Office, the broadcaster's second pay-per-view event of December following on from Deontay Wilder's world heavyweight title defence against Tyson Fury.
The cost of the box office event has yet to be announced but will likely be £19.95.
Can I stream online?
The fight will be shown on the BT Sport Box Office website and via the BT Sport Box Office app.
Who's going to win?
Josh Warrington 15/8
Carl Frampton 8/15
Draw 20/1
Williams vs HeffronRound six: Williams starts well and lands two good left hooks that rattles Heffron, and he follows up with a good right hand to the head. Suddenly, a left, right combo hurts Heffron badly and he goes into retreat, and Williams is landing with free will. Heffron makes it to the bell, but does he have it in him to go another six rounds? You'd have thought not.
Williams vs HeffronRound seven: Williams lands big again and shouts almost in approval as he marches down on Heffron, who is really struggling with the onslaught of punches that he's receiving. Heffron tries to attack, but misses twice and Williams spins out of it and lands big again, before Heffron walks onto a straight. This is proving a Williams whitewash.
Williams vs HeffronRound eight: Williams lands a good cross-right that whips Heffron's head across, anf a second comes soon after that catches Heffron flush. But Williams suddenly hits him really low and Heffron feels it, before clocking a jab on the chin for extra measure, and Williams gets a stern telling off from the referee. It gives Heffron a handy breather when he needed it, and there's a bit of niggle after the bell ad Williams throws his elbow backwards towards Heffron.
Williams vs HeffronRound nine: Heffron's trying to fight fire with fire but Williams is proving to be just a level above at the moment. The Englishman targets the body more than he has been so far in the fight, and his best bet appears to be to try and sucker Williams into the niggle that has surrounded the fight in the hope of distracting him into an error. That happens as the referee splits them up and both throw late punches, though it's just a telling off for each of them.
Williams vs HeffronRound ten: WIlliams gets back to business and lands a strong right hand, and when the Welshman goes on the attack he lands a huge right that sends Heffron flying. He stumbles back into the ropes and the referee steps in to give a standing eight count, believing that it would have been a knockdown there. He continues...but WIlliams gets the finish!
Liam Williams beats Mark Heffron by a 10th-round stoppage!
Steve Bunce with nothing but praise for Williams:
He was recalibrated. We saw a Liam Williams in that fight until it was over that we've never seen before. I thought Liam Williams wasn't just good, I thought it was the best performance of a British boxer in a British title fight we've seen this year.
Liam Williams gives his reaction after his emphatic victory:
I'm a bit overwhelmed if I'm honest with you. I know it's only a British title but I've got bigger plans.
I just knew I had it in the tank. I'm pretty confident, and I'm not just saying this because we're in the same gym, I think I can beat anyone at middle or light-middle apart from Billy Joe Saunders.
I'm not committing to any weight because I can still make any fight. All that matters is to get the bigger fights, the bigger pays because that's what we're all after, the big money.
The cheers and the boos ring out around the MEN Areans...it's time for the main event!
Josh Warrington vs Carl Frampton is up next!
It's a festive entry from Frampton as he emerges to Wizard's 'I Wist It Could Be Christmas Everyday', which gets everyone in the mood for a sing-song.
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