Josh Warrington vs Kid Galahad result: Leeds Warrior eyes Oscar Valdez and big fights in America after scrappy title defence

The IBF featherweight champion could now face the WBO title holder in a unification bout in the USA after adding Galahad to Lee Selby and Carl Frampton in a stunning run of victories

Josh Warrington admitted his frustration after squeaking out an unsatisfactory split decision win over Kid Galahad to retain his IBF featherweight title in Leeds.

The home favourite had to dig deep to keep hold of his title in a fight far removed from his previous all-action title clashes with Lee Selby and Carl Frampton.

The home favourite gained the verdict by 116-112 and 116-113 on two of the judges' scorecards with Howard Foster favouring the challenger by 115-113.Warrington admitted: "I think there was a lot of expectation after my last two performances, but they're not all going to be fights of the year.

"Everyone builds it up like it's going to be a war but I knew he was going to come with that typical Sheffield style.

"There were times when he was holding and grabbing the back of my head. You've got to come into a champion's back-yard and take it off him, and that didn't happen."

Warrington said he was eager to put a difficult night behind him and look abroad to secure major unification fights in the months ahead.

He added: "There's no-one left for me to fight over here. I've moved very quickly to the top of the tree and it's the big fights I need here.

"I don't want to be coming back here and defending the title against some bloke who works at the car-wash on the York Road.

"If I can get my own way, I'd like to go to America for the memories and the experience."

Warrington lunges in on Galahad (Action Images via Reuters)

Galahad refused to be too down-hearted in defeat, insisting: "It is what it is. Josh was strong and he won it and that's all that matters."

There were signs that the champion was struggling to find his range in the opening stages of the contest, while Galahad in contrast was countering accurately enough to bloody Warrington's nose near the end of the second.

Josh Warrington absorbs a shot from Kid Galahad (Action Images via Reuters)

Frustration was evident as the contest approached the halfway stage, with Galahad staunchly refusing to play into his opponent's hands and wage war in the manner of Selby or Frampton before him.

The favourite had to wait until round five for his first moment of real success when a short right hand sparked a strong three-punch combination which temporarily knocked Galahad out of his rhythm.

Josh Warrington celebrates his win (Action Images via Reuters)

The Sheffield boxer responded with a heavy left in the sixth and, for all Warrington's intent, it remained the challenger who looked to boxing the cleaner and cleverer fight.

Galahad had questioned Warrington's hunger before the fight and the Leeds man responded by piling on the pressure in the final stages.

A clean left uppercut in the 10th was followed by a wild assault early in the 11th. The majority of his shots may have gone astray but his sheer force of intent was ultimately what captured the judges' eye.