Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington have predicted that they will end their rivalry by knockout when they clash in a junior lightweight rematch on February 21.

More than two years after their controversial first meeting, Warrington (32-4, 8 KOs) and Wood (28-4, 17 KOs) are finally going to settle their differences. The fight will take place in Wood’s hometown of Nottingham. DAZN will stream the event.

On Thursday, the junior lightweights met in Birmingham to officially announce the fight. Much of a live "Face-Off" was spent rehashing the controversial first fight of October 2023 when Warrington was dramatically stopped after building a comfortable lead on the scorecards.

As the bell sounded to end the seventh round, Wood detonated a stunning short right hand that floored Warrington. Somehow, the Leeds man clambered to his feet and made it back to his corner only to turn around and see referee, Michael Alexander, waving off the fight.

Since then, the two have spoken about the fight and the finish time and time again and each is entrenched in their views.

Both are nearing the end of their illustrious careers and the rematch could boil down to a simple case of who is willing to dig deeper and go further.

In May, Wood’s trainer, Ben Davison, threw in the towel to save him in the ninth round of a punishing fight with former IBF junior lightweight champion Anthony Cacace. Warrington criticized the desire Wood showed that night.

“When you talk about resilience, I didn't run off to my corner. I'd rather go out on my back. He sprinted to his corner against Cacace,” Warrington, a two-time IBF featherweight champion, said.

“I've never seen anybody do 100 metres in the ring.”

Wood, two-time WBA featherweight champion, has forged his reputation on digging out spectacular wins in the most unlikely circumstances. The 37-year-old didn’t take kindly to the suggestion that he had ran away from a fight.

“I didn’t. I sprinted away from it to get a breather,” he said.

“I'd have still been there to get knocked out. My corner saved me, really. I probably would have got chinned, my corner saved me. But I'd have never jacked. You've never seen me jack. In my whole life, you've never seen me jack.

“I'm going to hit you so hard. I can't wait.”

In September 2024, Warrington temporarily retired after his own defeat to Cacace but some time away from the ring and the birth of his son caused the 35-year-old to reassess his relationship with the sport.

Once he made the decision to return, securing a rematch with Wood instantly gravitated towards the top of his list of priorities.

As much as the Alexander’s decision to stop the first fight still rankles, Warrington is equally annoyed by the lack of respect he feels Wood has paid him since. There was a tense but respectful atmosphere first time around but — for Warrington at least — the rematch has a personal edge.

“I don't hate him but I dislike him. I dislike the way he's gone about things and it's just going to be enjoyable to share a ring with him,” Warrington said.

“I've got so much ammunition to drive me in training and to push me. Not that I need it. ... We've worked on things just in case it were to come about so I've been more than prepared.

“He never expected me to box him — box his head off — for the first half of the fight. He can sit there smiling all smug and stuff and say it was all part of the plan."

Wood understands that beating Warrington for a second time would mean. Another victory would end the debate about the first fight once and for all, but it would also mean that Wood can remain in control of how his career ends.

A defeat would bring everything to an instant, disappointing halt.

“I'm not even thinking about after this fight. I'm thinking about winning this fight. Do what I normally do, prepare how I normally prepare,” he said.

“This is just as important as the first fight for me. Because if I lose this fight, it takes away the credibility of the first fight. So I need to make sure I do a better job this time.

“I don't know if I'm going to fight again after this fight. I haven't even thought about it. But for me, I need to win this fight.

“Everything comes down to winning this fight for me.”