Leigh Wood v Mauricio Lara 18/2/23

[TIC]

[TIC]

leigh-thal leigh taking on tough opponents, xu can, mick conlan & now mauricio lara

[TIC]

[Master]

Leigh Wood will defend his WBA featherweight title against Mauricio Lara at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on 24 September.

"I maybe have a handful of fights left and I want them to be my biggest," said Wood, who produced a 12th-round stoppage of Michael Conlan in March.

The Nottingham Forest fan, 34, had wanted to fight at the City Ground but added: "I want to be tested. I'm filling arenas now.

"I want to keep that momentum going."

Mexican Lara, 24, fought Josh Warrington twice in 2021, beating him at Wembley Arena before a technical draw at Headingley.

Warrington is open to fighting Wood at the City Ground and the pair could meet in 2023, after Warrington defends his IBF belt.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/62668393

[Master]

WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood has been forced out of his eagerly anticipated fight against Mauricio Lara, which was scheduled for September 24.

The Nottingham fighter was set to defend his belt in his hometown but after suffering an injury in training his fight with Lara has now been postponed until a later date, according to a report from the Daily Star.

Despite losing its headline act, Eddie Hearn’s latest Matchroom card will still go ahead at the Motorpoint Arena, but it will now be topped by a lightweight clash between Kid Galahad and Maxi Hughes.

Elsewhere on the card, Hannah Ranking will defend her IBO and WBA super welterweight belts against former super-featherweight champion Terri Harper.

Wood was hoping to successfully defend his featherweight title for the second time in 2022 after scoring an incredible comeback win over undefeated pre-fight favourite Michael Conlan.

The Irishman dumped him onto the canvas in the first round of their featherweight fight. Wood got up, and fought back but was well behind on the scorecards after 10 rounds.

However, he dropped Conlan in the 11th, then spectacularly finished him off in the final round, knocking the amateur standout through the ropes.

A scary moment (thankfully Conlan was OK), but a stunning fightback from Wood, who was beaten by Jazza Dickens two years ago before establishing himself as a true player at 126lbs by beating Xu Can and Conlan back-to-back.

Lara is best known for his fights with IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington.

The 24-year-old famously stopped the ‘Leeds Warrior’ early last year before their rematch was waved off after just two rounds due to a cut over the left eye of Lara.

Warrington opted against a third fight with Lara and instead squared off against Kiko Martinez who he beat to become a two-time world featherweight champion.

Wood and Lara are yet to comment on the postponement of their fight.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...le-nottingham/

[Master]

It appears Mauricio Lara is attempting to lure WBA featherweight champion, Leigh Wood, into a rescheduled bout.

The pair were originally supposed to fight in September earlier this year, but Wood was forced to pull out due to suffering a pulled bicep.

A new date has not yet been set and it seems Lara is trying to trash-talk Wood back into the ring, as he goes in pursuit of securing his first ever world title shot.

“We know that this English fighter [Leigh Wood] is a chicken…” Lara told Izquierdo.com

“England is like a second home to me. We know that English fighters run away from Mexicans.”

This comes after Lara recorded the best win of his career over another English fighter in Josh Warrington, back in 2021, despite ‘The Leed’s Warrior’ being a huge favourite going into the bout.

Lara, a relative unknown at the time, had Warrington down in the fourth round, but he managed to hold on until he was stopped in round nine.

In the rematch, the fight was called to a halt in the second round due to a cut over Lara’s left eye caused by an accidental headbutt.

The confidence and recognition Lara gained in the first fight with Warrington has now led the Mexican to believe that English fighters are easy pickings.

Wood, however, will be hoping to prove him wrong should they arrange a new date to clash in the ring, as he will look to defend his WBA featherweight strap.

The man from Nottingham is in the best form of his career currently, as he stopped Can Xu in 2021 to win his world title despite being the underdog.

Wood then followed up with a potential fight of the year knockout victory over Ireland’s Michael Conlan earlier this year, as he sent him out of the ring in the twelfth round.

So, even if Lara goes into this fight as a favourite, the Englishman will be anything but an easy touch, as Wood responded to his potential future opponent’s comments, saying: “The only person running will be him onto my right hand.”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...cheduled-bout/