Josh Warrington RETIRES and walks out of ring in emotional scenes after third consecutive boxing defeat

JOSH WARRINGTON’S top-flight boxing career came to an emotional end after he suffered his third fight on the spin.

The Leeds legend was outpointed by Anthony Cacace, whose IBF super-featherweight world title was banned from being at stake because Warrington had lost his last two.

And the ace indicated his time in the ring has to come to an end as he laid down his gloves on the canvas before posing for photos.

It went the distance, and the doting daddy of two little girls was typically brave.

But he fell well short and - for the sake of his health and his legacy - he felt it was time to hang up his gloves after a superb career.

After a decent battle between two friends, the judges called it: 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111.

The opener wasn’t cagey, but it was even.

The 33-year-old Yorkshireman did his trademark Mexican impersonation and tucked up and walked forward throwing hooks.

But Belfast man Cacace caught and countered with long right hands.

Warrington had his head knocked back in the opener but he wasn’t hurt, Cacace had his bushy beard skimmed by a left hook.

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The second was an early riser, Cacace played Warrington’s game upclose and personal. The two toughnuts rutted and clinched and shythed at each other as soon as they found an inch of space.

Cacace was brave to surrender his huge physical advantages - looking like a middleweight compared to his foe.

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The IBF champ boxed his fight in the third but was always tempted back into the firefight where Warrington thrives.

The classy warriors touched gloves at the end of the third - a magnificently bizarre symbol of the sport, having battered each other for the previous nine minutes.

Warrington got greedy in the fourth pummelling his fists into Cacace’s ribs until he spotted and opening and whacked back.

Wazza was hurt and needed to recover but he regained his senses quickly.

But with every passing punch and seconds, Cacace’s less frequent blows were looking like the punishing ones.

Warrington was never a concussive puncher down at feather, so a step up was never going to help him add to his highlight reel.

Rounds five and six went the same way, try as he might Warrington could not put a dent in the hairy giant who towered over him and looped leather into him whenever in range.

It was competitive and exciting but there was an air of inevitability that Warrington was on course for a horror hat-trick of losses.

The only unknown was wether it would be a points defeat or a late stoppage.

It was hard to watch rounds eight and nine, not because Warrington was getting hurt but because - as darkness fell on Wembley -  we were watching the light of his career slowly go out.

Three defeats on the spin is hard sell, even for a local legend who packed the Leeds Arena, Elland Road and Headingley in his beautiful heyday.

The twelfth could not come quick enough - and then it was gone. Warrington as a brilliant little wrecking ball, the dental technician turned world champion had to accept his fourth loss in six fights.

As usual, he tried to go out on his shield but thankfully it ended with a a good, fair flurry and a huge hug between two brilliant veterans before Warrington laid down his gloves for a final time.