Last update on. From the section Boxing
Mauricio Lara suffered a cut above his left eye that ended his fight in the second round.
After a clash between heads in round two, Josh Warrington and Mauricio Lara saw his left eye severely cut in the second round, the match ended in technical draw.
Lara's side were unable stop the bleeding from the gaping wound so the ringside doctor called off the bout.
After a thrilling start in Leeds in front of partisan crowds, it was a disappointing end for both fighters.
Lara won their fight in February to win the IBF world featherweight title.
Warrington spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live and said that he was "absolutely gutted” by the outcome.
"I'm confused. I don’t know what to do." "Honestly, I felt like I could burst into tears after the ref waved him off," he said.
"I thought that I had caught him in round one. I thought I could see a nick and continue to target it. "I was absolutely devastated when I saw the head clash as I dived in.
Leeds-born Warrington sought revenge for his only loss in professional sports. Headingley was filled with 20,000 supporters.
The 30-year-old had a steely focus that he appeared to have lost in their last meeting. He landed two big rights and then a combination near the ropes in round one.
Lara, 23 years old, resisted the initial attack and responded with a strong right as the fight heated up.
The fight was over after four rounds. Both fighters and supporters were disappointed.
"I sat down in the second round and thought, "How did this guy knock my out?" Warrington added, "The second round was the only one I was caught in when I was being reckless."
"I wanted to show the crowd, we had some game plans, but I am devastated.
"You feel like you're on a rollercoaster ride of emotions in the changing rooms. You start to doubt yourself, and then you believe you're the best person in the world.
"After the first round, I thought 'wow, I am seeing everything.' I thought that I could control the fight.
Josh Warrington unloads a combination during the first round
"We were denied a truly great fight"
Savannah Marshall, British world champion, said on BBC Radio 5 Live that both fighters would be "devastated".
"We were denied a great fight on a great night. Lara probably knew this, because he picked up the pace right away after the first head-to-head clash.
Steve Bunce, BBC Radio 5 Live's commentator, said: "No one should be upset. That is the nature of boxing. Josh Warrington's career has been somewhat re-energized, but it comes with an asterisk.
"If they fight again, it will be May. It may have been Elland Road. It may have had to be 50,000, and I will have some."
The undercard story
Katie Taylor, from Ireland, tightened her grip on women’s boxing earlier with a points win over Jennifer Han of America.
Taylor is still the world lightweight champion, despite Han being the world featherweight champion.
The 35-year old began to discover her range and won 100 to 89 on all three judges cards to win her 19th professional victory.
Conor Benn, a British welterweight, maintained his unbeaten professional record by winning points over Adrian Granados in the United States.
Granados tried to evade the Briton's frustrations but he was unable to stop him from winning 100-90, 99-91, and 97-93 cards.
Benn was rewarded with bigger punches as he attempted to fight his mysterious opponent.
