Josh Warrington Remains Perfect as Dillian Whyte Makes His Point in Leeds

The final show before British boxing takes a summer break saw a bumper bill at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England.

Josh Warrington recorded a stoppage win, and Dillian Whyte went the distance. The outcomes were not a surprise on Saturday, but the manner of the results were a little unexpected.

Featherweight Warrington—the local favourite who had Leeds United captain Sol Bamba carry out his WBC International belt—proved too much for Patrick Hyland.

Whyte, meanwhile, dominated David Allen but had to settle for a points win over his fellow heavyweight.

Also on the card, Tyrone Nurse outpointed Tommy Coyle to retain his British super lightweight crown, plus Luke Campbell climbed off the canvas to defeat Argenis Mendez on the scorecards.

Here, Bleacher Report reviews the action, starting with the local boy who cut loose.

One-Sided Warr

The Leeds crowd had to patiently wait to see their man in the ring due to long-running fights prior to the main event, but Warrington rewarded their patience with a dominant display.

Hyland—who had failed to make weight on Friday—was game and willing to engage, as expected. He was also an easy target to hit and a step slower than his rival.

The Irishman was on the wrong end of some rapid combinations. His spirit led to his beckoning his rival in, but while the mind was able, the body began to feel the extent of the punishment.

By the middle rounds, it was a question of whether Warrington—not renowned for his power, having previously managed only four wins inside the distance—could put his opponent away.

Eventually, he found a way to force a stoppage.

Hyland was dropped late in Round 8 by a chopping right hand to the top of his head. The bell spared him from further punishment, and he could easily have been pulled out by his corner before the ninth.

However, The Punisher was quickly down again when the action resumed. He rose again too, leading to the pair standing toe-to-toe and tearing into each other.

Warrington, though, knew the end was nigh. 

Has he really added a bit more power to his punches, or did Hyland just wilt under a sustained barrage? If it is the former, Warrington has added a key ingredient to cope at the highest level.

What Next?

While Hyland's issues on the scales meant the International title wasn't on the line, Warrington knew a defeat would severely dent his hopes for a world title fight.

Now, though, he's just playing the waiting game again. Enough of the warm-up fights and "tricky tests"; the 25-year-old needs to get his shot at glory soon.

Per FightNews.com, he is ranked No. 1 with the WBC. Gary Russell Jr. is the governing body's reigning champion.

Hyland is a common denominator when it comes to comparing the champion and his leading contender. While the Irishman lasted nine rounds with Warrington, he was stopped inside five minutes by Russell in April.

However, the fight Warrington really wants is against IBF champion Lee Selby.

There's no love lost between the pair. They've exchanged comments in the media but are yet to meet to actually exchange blows. Elland Road—the home of Leeds United—is now out of the question until next summer, but Warrington believes the bout could yet happen before the end of the year.

He told Sky Sports (h/t Tim Hobbs of SkySports.com) prior to facing Hyland: "We said we'd fight him before Christmas and we would sign the contract tomorrow if it was at the end of the year, give it a big buildup."

It's had the big buildup—just make it happen.

However, there may be another twist in the saga. Carl Frampton's victory on Saturday could have thrown a spanner in the works.

Selby was ringside at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, to see The Jackal dethrone WBA Super champion Leo Santa Cruz. Frampton is looked after by Cyclone Promotions, while Selby is with the Sanigar family. The two promotional teams have a solid working relationship, so a deal could easily be made.

Premier Boxing Champions made it clear the newly crowned Frampton has options. Lots of options:

Warrington, meanwhile, is just there, waiting. It's a position he has become accustomed to over the last 12 months.

Whyte of Passage

Whyte and Allen promised fireworks ahead of their duel in the ring. They must have got damp in the box.

The pair had been involved in a Twitter spat earlier in the year, although Allen had explained to Bleacher Report how it was something he had to do to get the fight he wanted.

Fighting on short notice, The White Rhino planned to take his rival into deep waters before making a late charge for glory.

He managed to complete the first part of the plan. However, while he stretched Whyte to 10 rounds, he barely registered a punch of note.

That should hardly be a surprise. Allen lacked in experience, having had just 10 fights since December 2012.

He showed great heart and a ridiculously solid chin. With more technical work at the famous Ingle Gym, there's plenty of hope for Allen.

As for Whyte, who took the unusual decision to box the opening round from a southpaw stance, questions still remain. Is he actually good enough to mix it at world level?

Probably, but his best performance to date came in defeat to Anthony Joshua. He looked in better condition for his clash with Allen, and his punch output was exceedingly high for a heavyweight.

The Body Snatcher needs a tougher test before the end of the year, someone who is going to pose more of a threat to him.

At least the animosity with Allen seems to be at an end, judging by Whyte's tweet:

The Campbell Conundrum

In beating Mendez on points, Campbell added a notable name to his list of scalps.

And yet, despite the unanimous victory on the scorecards, it still felt like the Olympic gold medalist flattered to deceive.

There were mitigating circumstances for that. Mendez barely bothered to trade over the course of 12 rather forgettable rounds, although the reason for that became clear after the bout:

But, before the broken jaw, the former super featherweight world champion had dropped his opponent in Round 2 with a sharp counter. KO Kings captured the knockdown:

For a second time in his pro career, Campbell had to pick himself up off the canvas. It was a flash knockdown, a loss of balance rather than being hit with a forceful punch.

Unlike against Yvan Mendy last year, the 28-year-old southpaw recovered from the setback to win.

Preferably, he needs a fighter to come at him to really shine. Being the aggressor against Mendez led to a lot of punches falling short, while he was also open to counters coming back the other way.

The next 12 months look to be massive for his career, but at least he's not short of options in the division. Another meaningful test would seem sensible before a crack at a world title at some stage in 2017.

Yorkshire Pride

Nurse could have made life easier for himself against Coyle. At 5'11", he had the option of boxing from long range and dominating behind a jab thrown from the waist.

Instead, the British champion opted to fight fire with fire.

He allowed Coyle to come in and trade at close quarters. The audience should be thankful to Nurse—his choice of tactics made for an absorbing spectacle.

The Yorkshire derby (Nurse hails from Huddersfield, Coyle from Hull) could have gone either way. Challenger Coyle thought he'd done just enough at the final bell, perhaps believing the knockdown he scored in Round 7 would tilt it his way.

It didn't. Nurse was given the nod 115-113 by two of the judges, with the other making it 116-112.

The crestfallen Coyle, with his nose broken and his left eye swollen shut, was in tears after the verdict was announced. The pain of defeat was far greater than the injuries suffered over the course of 12 rounds.

Hopefully he will get another chance to get his hands on a Lonsdale belt. Boom Boom has his limits, but it's hard not to admire him for his tenacity and spirit.

Nurse, meanwhile, has to make a decision over where he goes next.

According to journalist Elliot Foster on Twitter, Jack Catterall is the mandatory challenge for the British crown:

Nurse against Catterall would be another watchable domestic battle. However, the former could be offered the chance to move on to a higher level, meaning he would have to vacate his current title one defence shy of winning the Lonsdale belt outright.

Either way, his decision to mix it up with Coyle didn't do his standing any harm at all. He has taken the long road to success since turning pro as a teenager and understands that simply winning isn't always enough to open doors.

Nurse took a calculated gamble that paid off in the end.