Date: 31st July 2016 at 8:49am
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At the First Direct Arena, in Leeds, the popular home-town fighter Josh Warrington moved a step close to a world title fight.

In front of a partisan and very vociferous home crowd, Warrington took on Patrick Hyland in a defence of his WBC international featherweight title.

Hyland, having had a world title bout against Gary Russell Jnr, a fight in which he was stopped inside two rounds, was to provide Warrington with a stiff test.

Drama at the weigh-in saw Hyland fail to meet the weight, being over the limit by more than two pounds, however the fight went ahead as Warrington sought to move towards a showdown against Lee Selby.

As it turned out I was a comfortable nights? work for Warrington who was never in trouble.

The Leeds fighter used his superior boxing ability to out-work and out-punch Hyland and it came as no surprise when the home-town fighter forced a ninth round stoppage.

The stoppage takes Warrington?s professional record to 24-0 and moves him a step closer to a world title shot.

Things are definitely looking bright for the 25-year-old from Leeds.