Kid Galahad focused in for IBF eliminator against Claudio Marrero

In just a little over a week, featherweight contender Kid Galahad will return to the ring, eight months after a world title challenge and narrow defeat against IBF titleholder Josh Warrington, and he’ll be right back to business, facing Claudio Marrero in another IBF eliminator.

Galahad (26-1, 15 KO) still believes he won the fight with Warrington, but that hometown favoritism gave the W to his opponent.

“I believe that I didn’t lose that fight,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I lost that fight when I was in the ring. The judges saw it a different way, it is what it is. Next time I’ve got to make sure I don’t leave it in the judges’ hands.

“I 100 percent believe that if that fight was anywhere else, and we had neutral judges, Kid Galahad would have been crowned a world champion. I believe that the IBF is the best governing body, though, they don’t mess about. They looked at the decision, they watched the fight, and they gave me a final eliminator again.”

A rematch with Warrington (30-0, 7 KO) would be fine with the 29-year-old Galahad, though he’s not overly obsessed with who holds the title by the time he gets to a possible second crack.

“If Josh Warrington has the title after I come through Feb. 8, then great,” he said. “Josh is a hell of a fighter, he’s strong and he can fight. I don’t believe that he had a bad night, I just believe that he got beat that night. I believe he knows he got beat that night.”

The 30-year-old Marrero (24-3, 17 KO) is no easy out, however, and Galahad is completely respectful of the challenge in front of him.

“I’m fully focused on Feb. 8 and Claudio Marrero,” he insists. “I’m fully focused on him and getting this kid out of the way, because it’s going to be a very dangerous night for me. Marrero comes from a very good amateur pedigree. He’s a former Dominican Republic Olympian, he’s signed with Al Haymon as a pro. He’s had 23 fights, 17 knockouts, he’s only lost to high-calibre opponents. He can punch, he can box.

“He can do everything, this kid, and he’s very dangerous. Feb. 8 is going to be a very tough night for me. I’ve been training very hard, I’m looking forward to it. Whatever he brings to the table, on Feb. 8 I’m going to rise to the occasion and step up my game. If I don’t win this fight then there is no world title fight for me.”

The Feb. 8 card will stream live on DAZN, featuring the return of Kell Brook in the main event against Mark DeLuca, plus a women’s 130-pound title bout between veteran Eva Wahlstrom and rising contender Terri Harper.