JOSH WARRINGTON got over his Maurico Lara car crash with a dream motorbike after his missus finally gave him the green light.
The 31-year-old Leeds hero suffered a violent loss to the Mexico banger in February 2021, just a few weeks after relinquishing his IBF featherweight title in his effort to land other titles.
The father-of-two hit rock bottom after the punishing KO but wife Natasha helped lift him out of his funk with the nod for his dream two-wheeled machine.
Ahead of tonight’s shot at his old belt against Kiko Martinez at his local arena, Warrington revealed: “When I became world champion, I went to a motorbike garage and I came home with a brochure and the missus just burst into tears. She said ‘you can’t, you’ve just become a dad’.
“Then after the first Lara fight, I was sulking about and my dad was having a mid-life crisis and had just bought a scooter, so I thought I’d get a bike.
“The missus gave me the blessing and so I went and got one. I think she did it because I was so f*****g miserable!
Read More in Sport
“She said you’re going to do it at some time, so do it, but just be careful.”
Warrington treated himself to a 650cc Yamaha to ease the pain of that first career loss and exercised demons by rematching Lara in September, which ended in a technical draw.
And now the only agony is hearing fellow bikers enjoying the blistering sunshine while he focuses on the must-win Leeds arena clash with the 36-year-old he outpointed in 2017.
He said: “When I’m on my bike, I absolutely love it.
“Whitby, Scarborough, that’s where I want to go. On Wednesday I was sat in my back garden and where I live, a lot of bikers go out to a biking cafe near me and all day it was ‘vrooom!’
“And it was like someone who’s on a diet walking past fast food chains constantly and I was like ‘Aaaaaargh!’. I can’t wait to get out on my bike next week.
“I realise the dangers of having a bike. I know if I hit a pole in my car, I will knacker my alloy. If I hit a pole on my bike, I’m coming off, so I ride defensively.”
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Warrington – who will be walked to the ring by Leeds United hero Luke Ayling – had his senses scrambled by Lara after missing out on an EGG-elletent pre-fight tradition.
The Elland Road regular has always dropped tickets off personally to his long-time fans, with one dedicated follower Terry Poole always thanking him with a six eggs.
He explained: “Basically I’ve always dropped off tickets for people who have been coming for a long time and the Poole family have been coming since my town hall days when I was fighting for the English title in Leeds town hall.
“I’d say probably for the last six years since I’ve been going over, he gives me half a dozen eggs. It’s a bit of a tradition really.
“He swears the reason I got beat by Lara was because I didn’t go and get the eggs before that first fight.
“Now Terry has given me the eggs he’s at peace now. Because I’ve got the eggs, he’s confident I will be a two-time world champion.
“I couldn’t get them for the first Lara fight because it was in the bubble and there were no tickets being sold. I didn’t get them for the second fight either because I was so busy with everything else, I had my pals dropping the tickets off.
“I make an omelette or scrambled eggs with them, something nice like that.”
