Josh Warrington 30-1 (7) would likely retire if he loses his proposed rematch with Mauricio Lara 22-2 (15), the former IBF featherweight champion said.
The Leeds Warrior was handed his first professional defeat by the little-known but heavy-handed Mexican, who had him on the canvas in the fourth and finished off the job in the ninth in their 12-round non-title bout at Wembley Arena in London on February 13.
Warrington, 30, is insisting on an immediate rematch says he would beat Lara “99 times out of 100”.
“There’s no point in hanging about if I can’t mix it with this guy,” he said to the BBC.
“What’s the point? Maybe I could step up to super featherweight for a payday. I’m not prepared to do that as the sport is hard.
“For my own mental self I don’t think I would be able to settle if other people go in there and blast this guy out. I need to know I can get over this hurdle. Whether it be 12 rounds of being dominant or me knocking him out. I need to do it for myself. If I can’t then I’m calling it a day, simple as that.”
Warrington said that there were “a load of little things” that contributed to his loss at the empty arena bereft of fans.
“When I walk to the arena normally, the heat and adrenaline hit you,” he said. “I was stood on the stage and it was like I was too relaxed, like it was a sparring session with a novice.
“I was winking at Lara and stuff. I’ve never had that mindset. I look back now and think ‘why were you in that mindset?’ By the time the fight day came I’d gone through every emotion and thought the fight was probably a given.”
After the fight Warrington was taken to a London hospital for a check-up before heading home to Leeds for his twin daughters’ third birthday.
“It was as though they knew there was something wrong,” he said. “I’m on the sofa all bumped, bruised and battered and they said ‘hello’ but didn’t come jumping on me like normal. It was like they knew and had a sense.
“For a few days I didn’t want to leave the house as I didn’t want to bump into people.
“We don’t want to be in this position again. I guess it does give you drive. I’ve gone from number one in world to number six. Even if I right this wrong I don’t think I’ll be back at the top straight away, but I don’t mind being an underdog.
“We are all delicate about that unbeaten record. It’s sport at the end of the day. UFC fighters get it and bounce back. Maybe boxing can take a lesson from that.”
