Josh Warrington has revealed how a call from Anthony Joshua helped lift his spirits after he was brutally KO’d by Mauricio Lara last weekend.

Warrington, 30, lost his unbeaten record to the unfancied Mexican in London as what was meant to be a tune-up bout went horribly wrong.

The Leeds man (pictured above) was floored in the fourth round but bravely battled on until the ninth when ref Howard Foster waved off the contest after Lara dropped him once again.

And while the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, Warrington is looking forward to bouncing back after a heart-to-heart with 31-year-old Joshua, who was also the victim of a Mexican underdog in the shape of Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019. 

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Warrington said: "I mentioned to [promoter Eddie Hearn] that I wouldn't mind a chat with AJ, if he had two minutes.

"He gave me far more than two minutes, the great guy that he is.

"We were talking about setbacks. Obviously, I have a big profile but he's the heavyweight champion of the world.

"I asked him about dwelling on a fight, the mindset and how to come back.

"He gave me his honest opinion from his experience and how I could potentially learn from his way. I appreciate his time and his honesty.

"After speaking to him, I feel like I've gone on a 15-mile run! He's a very good talker."

I asked him about dwelling on a fight, the mindset and how to come back Josh Warrington recalls his chat with Anthony Joshua

Before taking on Lara, Warrington vacated his IBF featherweight title after negotiations for a unification fight with WBA champ Can Xu fell through for a second time.

And he is now taking inspiration from Joshua’s decision to secure an immediate rematch with Ruiz, which saw the Watford heavyweight reclaim his WBA Super, WBO and IBF titles just six months after losing them. 

Warrington added: "People were saying he was silly to do so. They said, 'Don't do that, look at easier options'.

"But we're fighters and we have certain emotions we have to deal with. He knew exactly what I was saying. I knew exactly what he was saying.

"When I said I wanted the rematch, he knew. He knew I need to get those demons and squash them.

"We have similarities in that sense. That's why I wanted to speak to him. It has made things clearer.

"Since speaking to him, it has backed up the things I was thinking. I'd like the rematch. It's no good me going into any other fight and leaving this guy behind.

"For my own demons and my own mindset, I need to conquer this."