Leigh Wood recovered from an early knockdown to retain his WBA featherweight title with a remarkable 12th-round stoppage of Michael Conlan after a ferocious battle at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
Topping the bill at his home city, Wood was put on his back by a looping overhand left towards the end of the first round and while he rose on wobbly legs, the 33-year-old was outclassed over the first half of the fight.
But Wood rallied and was starting to find some success as the bout wore on, evening the knockdowns in the 11th – despite Conlan’s protestations of a slip – before delivering a stunning finish in the final round.
A bruising right hand seemed to buckle Conlan before Wood unloaded with a further flurry to back up his opponent, who tumbled between the ropes and what looked a nasty looking fall.
Raucous celebrations at a dramatic and conclusive finish became muted when it became apparent Conlan was hurt following his tumble from the ring. He was treated to by medics and left the arena on a stretcher.
