Josh Warrington's desire, heart and workrate overshadowed his underrated boxing ability during an extraordinary rise up from the small hall circuit but those are exactly the qualities the former featherweight world champion is going to have to call upon if he is to accomplish his dream of becoming a two-weight title holder.

"I'm greedy and also stubborn," Warrington (32-4-1, 8 KOs) said during an appearance on Sky Sports' Toe2Toe podcast.

Warrington has a steep climb ahead if he is to return to elite world level but, in April, he took the first step by working his way to a 10-round decision win over India's Asad Asif Khan.

The win won't have made too many ripples amongst the world's top junior lightweights but it meant the world to the 34-year-old "Leeds Warrior", who hadn't won a fight since March 2022 when beating Kiko Martinez to win the IBF featherweight world title for a second time.

That victory would be his last top-class scalp at 126lbs. Nine months later, he lost his belt to Mexico's Luis Alberto Lopez and was then stopped by a desperate Leigh Wood in the seventh round of their thrilling WBA title fight.

Last September, Warrington lost a tame 12-round decision to Anthony Cacace on the undercard of Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight title defence against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium. After hearing the judges scorecards, a frustrated Warrington symbolically removed his gloves and laid them down in centre ring.

After spending a few weeks letting the disappointment ease, Warrington decided to step up to 130lbs and steel himself for a final assault on world level.

Warrington knows that he will need to score at least one notable win before he even enters contention for a world title opportunity but it sounds like he is willing to put in the work to get there.

"What's left for me? I don't know. I still believe I can become a world champion. I've had three losses consecutively at world-level, but they were fine margins," he said.

"I didn't get disgraced. I did get stopped in one of them [by Wood] but that was controversial - I was winning the fight up until then - but I'd like to just go on my own terms.

"I feel like I'm good enough to win a world title but maybe a few more entertaining fights."