Leigh Wood was seconds from losing his world title last March when he found the punches to send Michael Conlan flying from the ring.
Wood retained his WBA featherweight title that night in Nottingham in the 12th round, Conlan landed in the arms of his father at ringside, and the scorecards revealed Wood was trailing on all three. It was dramatic, bloody and unforgiving; the respectable awards at the end of the year recognised both the fight and the brutal ending. It was the type of fight that can leave a deep toll on both men.
It was also the fifth or sixth fight in succession where Wood had either started as the underdog or the fight was a genuine 50-50 clash. Wood is not and has never been in easy, simple and routine fights. And that is set to continue.
On Saturday, in the same Nottingham ring, Wood defends against Mauricio Lara in one of those rare fights where there is a guarantee of excitement – not just the expectation. It is also a fight that demands both boxers take ridiculous risks to leave the ring as the winner; it might last less than a round, but it will still be a classic.
Lara fits just about every boxing cliche about dangerous opponents and avoided Mexicans; he is cold-eyed, he bangs with either hand, and he has no respect for the men who are supposed to beat him. Lara’s win in 2021 over Josh Warrington, who was unbeaten at the time, remains a vivid nightmare and a very real warning of just what Lara is capable off. Warrington went off to hospital for a routine check after the fight and X-rays revealed about a dozen injuries from his jaw to his elbows. When Lara hits you, he hurts you.
Wood likes to get involved in brawls, often getting sucked in far too early, and has been cut and dropped in winning fights. Conlan had him over heavily in the first round and lascerated, but in the fighting life of Wood, there is simply no such thing as a lost cause. In the opening round it looked like it was truly all over.
“I will have to be a smarter fighter against Lara,” said Wood. “I have seen things and I know how to beat him. I’m the champion and this is the type of fight a champion should take.” Wood talks sense, but it is still a magnificent risk to take, and one that should be applauded at a time when the male champions in the old game are avoiding each other at just about every level.
Lara was, before the Warrington fight, just a member of the large Mexican pool of small men waiting for a break, hoping for a payday on the road and the slim chance of slipping free from the pack. He grasped the lifeline viciously and now he is back, still hungry and still young. At 24, he is a decade younger than Wood.
Wood vs Lara is somehow different to most fights where there is a high level of anticipation. Perhaps it is nothing more complicated than the simple history of Lara walking through punches to finish fights and Wood refusing to be beaten when hurt. That is the ideal mix for any fight. Add a sold-out venue, a hometown idol, and a Mexican kid with all the lethal Mexican fighting skills as the challenger, and you have something special. In boxing we talk about Mexico’s conveyor belt of world-class featherweights, an ancient line of great men, and Lara is starting to look and feel like the latest model.
There is no chance of a boxing and defensive masterclass, but there is also no way Wood wins without using his ring intelligence. It makes for an X-rated clash, a mix of joyous expectation and an inevitable struggle. Nobody said it was easy and when you hold one of the 80 or so world title belts, you should have to fight hard to defend it. And even harder to win it. It’s an old-fashioned concept, I agree, but then again Leigh Wood is an old-fashioned type of guy.
The big problem for Wood on Saturday in Nottingham is that Lara is as fearless as he is dangerous and brave. Wood needs Lara to also be a bit reckless, which he often is with his head, and that way Wood can fight with the intelligence he has gained during a long life in the boxing game.
Wood will no doubt have to survive some tough moments in a truly unforgettable fight to keep his title. Lara is not just a dangerous fighter, he may very well be a lot more than that.
