Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara LIVE: Stream, latest updates and result tonight
Leigh Wood fights Mauricio Lara in a main-event bout at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena tonight, as the hometown fighter defends the WBA featherweight title against the Mexican challenger.
Wood last fought in March at the same venue, as he retained the belt with a 12th-round knockout of Michael Conlan – a KO-of-the-year contender that came after the 34-year-old recovered from a knockdown and fought from behind on the scorecards. It was a third straight stoppage win for the Briton, who improved his record to 26-2 (16 KOs) in the process.
Meanwhile, Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) most recently competed in October, stopping Jose Sanmartin in the third round in Mexico City. The result marked the 24-year-old’s second consecutive third-round victory, and he will be seeking another early finish as he enters hostile territory this evening.
Follow live updates from Wood vs Lara and the entire undercard in Nottingham.
Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara LIVE
Mauricio Lara beats Leigh Wood in Round 7 as towel comes in
Lara trailing on scorecards but knocks down Wood with heavy hook
Wood beats referee’s count but towel is thrown in with seconds left in the round
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:37 , Alex Pattle
Mauricio Lara def. Leigh Wood via seventh-round TKO (2:54).
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:35 , Alex Pattle
That will prove a controversial finish.
Of course, fighter safety is the most important thing. Some will argue that Wood would likely have survived the final 10 seconds of the round and might have been able to recover.
He was certainly ahead on the judges’ scorecards, too.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:32 , Alex Pattle
Round 7
As Indy Sport sees it, Wood is up five rounds to one.
Lara is starting to get through with his left hand, however, snapping back Wood’s head.
OHHH! Lara drops Wood with a left hook late in the round!
Wood beats the count, but the towel comes in!!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:28 , Alex Pattle
Well, both fighters predicted that this bout would not reach its halfway mark. We’re officially into the second half!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:28 , Alex Pattle
Round 6
Wood beckons to the crowd to make some noise.
Lara pierces Wood’s guard with a couple of sharp jabs. Wood walks Lara onto a right hand, then pours on more punches as the Mexican retreats to the ropes!
Lara is breathing more heavily here... He’s been cornered.
The fighters move back into the open. Wood’s timing is so precise at the moment.
Lara dives in with a pair of hooks. He ends the round with some better work.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:24 , Alex Pattle
Round 5
Wood stays behind his jab before adding some hooks upstairs!
Lara comes back with a good sequence, but Wood replies in turn, pummelling his challenger’s mid-section.
Uppercut to the body, left hook to the head by Wood.
A perfect left hook strikes the chin of Lara. Again, he just gets on with it!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:20 , Alex Pattle
Round 4
Wood jabs to the body; Lara curls hooks to the head! Wood stays composed.
Wood steps in with an eager right cross, as Lara is backed onto the ropes, but the Briton can’t quite time the punch.
Now he times one perfectly, though, in the middle of the ring! Impressive resilience from Lara for now...
Teasing jabs by Wood. He tags Lara hard with a left hook after receiving one to the body.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:16 , Alex Pattle
Round 3
Wood backs up Lara, who is content to bide his time for now. Wood, 34, is just standing in front of the Mexican, not throwing much at all.
Wood darts in and out with a jab, while Lara is unable to counter with an uppercut.
Solid jab work from Wood in the centre of the ring now. He grazes Lara with a left hook. The challenger opts for hooks to the body.
A big right cross is on point for Wood! And another! Now he jabs to the body. Good head movement from the champion.
A great response by Wood after a tough second round.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:12 , Alex Pattle
Round 2
Wood sustained a cut around his left eye in that first round, due to a clash of heads.
Lara accuses Wood of hitting him on the back of the head now.
Wood gets after his challenger in the corner, to the delight of the Nottingham faithful.
Lara eats a brutal left hook like it’s nothing! Now Lara lands one of his own while closing distance.
More hooks from each man. Lara mixes it up, targeting the body with some spiteful punches.
A left and right get through up top for Lara, and Wood stumbles slightly! The bell helps him out! Blood is smeared all around Wood’s face!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:08 , Alex Pattle
Round 1
The crowd is singing loudly already to soundtrack this one. Both fighters get behind their jabs early, until Wood grabs ahold of Lara.
They separate and Wood holds the centre of the ring. Lara springs off to his left.
The Mexican winds up with an uppercut from range but misses. A hook then misses for the challenger, too.
Wood, meanwhile, is on point with two left hooks! More grappling ensues.
A short uppercut from Lara gets through in close. Now he fires off short, straight shots, before digging into the body.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:03 , Alex Pattle
Here we go! Twelve rounds for Wood’s WBA featherweight title!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
23:00 , Alex Pattle
The crowd is very much up for this one.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:58 , Alex Pattle
Now here comes the hometown hero, Nottingham’s own Wood (26-2, 16 KOs).
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:53 , Alex Pattle
Heavy boos for Lara in Wood’s hometown.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:51 , Alex Pattle
Lara is out first, sporting a red sombrero.
The Mexican, 24, enters hostile territory here with a professional record of 25-2-1 (18 knockouts).
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:42 , Alex Pattle
One fight to go. It’s main-event time. Wood vs Lara for the WBA featherweight title.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:35 , Alex Pattle
Dalton Smith def. Billy Allington via unanimous decision (120-107, 119-108, 119-108).
Smith retains the British super-lightweight title!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:31 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 12
More stalking from Smith. Allington is still bouncing.
Smith tees off on Allington, who turns his back while against the ropes. Smith refrains from throwing any further strikes.
Smith briefly stands southpaw. We’ll go to the judges’ scorecards.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:27 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 11
Smith is hunting Allington, and mixing up his shots. Uppercuts and hooks are the preferred punches right now.
A hook tags Allington behind the ear, and the challenger stumbles to his knees briefly.
Smith wings punches at Allington while leaving his chin exposed, and he’s caught a few times.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:23 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 10
Smith and Allington come together in a clinch, and Smith lifts Allington and dumps him to the mat.
The referee warns Smith that a point will be deducted next time; it should have been deducted this time. That was naughty from Smith.
He gets through with a couple of mean right hands now. Allington is still in there, still fighting bravely.
Smith eats a left hook to land a right cross.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:18 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 9
Allington tightens up his guard to block a few uppercut attempts from Smith.
Those shots are starting to get through as the round progresses, however.
Smith with a well-timed right cross now. He’s increasing the tempo.
Allington does well to make it to the bell.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:14 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 8
Two left hooks in quick succession put down Allington early in the eighth! The shots land after the pair separate from the clinch.
Allington is back on his feet, and again the super-lightweights grapple.
Now an uppercut gets through for Smith. Allington is swinging wildly to try to keep Smith at bay, but he’s missing.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:11 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 7
Allington, moving backwards, just misplaces a left hook.
The crowd is getting a bit restless now.
Smith catches Allington coming in, burrowing a left hook into his challenger’s body.
Allington’s entries are far too messy still.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:06 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 6
A big overhand right lands for Smith. He follows up with a clean left hook.
Allington is looking weary. He tries to get himself going again, bouncing on the spot.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
22:03 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 5
Allington is getting tricked into sloppy reactions now, as Smith stalks him patiently.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:58 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 4
Another left hook lands for Allington. Smith is fighting somewhat complacently.
But Smith suddenly staggers Allington now with a combination of hooks, and suddenly the champion springs into life with more output!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:54 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 3
A messy exchange takes place after another period of inactivity.
Allington just catches Smith with a left hook by the ropes, before the super-lightweights grapple again.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:51 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 2
Still not too much activity from either fighter, until they open up by trading hooks.
The boxers tie one another up late in the round. Allington suggests that he was tagged on the back of the head in that exchange.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:46 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington – Round 1
Nothing thrown by either fighter in the first 30 seconds. Eventually Smith tries a couple of jabs, but Allington is just out of range.
Now Smith misses with an uppercut, and Allington clinches.
Smith increases his input briefly, midway through the round, stringing together some light hooks.
Allington leans forward with his chin, but Smith is not biting.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:41 , Alex Pattle
Smith vs Allington is up now!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:28 , Alex Pattle
Two fights left tonight!
Before the main event, Dalton Smith defends his British super-lightweight title against Billy Allington.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:24 , Alex Pattle
Gary Cully def. Wilfredo Flores via second-round TKO (1:52).
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:22 , Alex Pattle
Cully vs Flores – Round 2
Flores is not producing much output overall. He seems tentative, unsure of how to tackle the taller Cully.
And down goes Flores after a left cross behind the ear from Cully!
The Puerto Rican is back on his feet, but Cully goes right after him and forces the referee to step in due to a quick flurry!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:18 , Alex Pattle
Cully vs Flores – Round 1
Cully won in 35 seconds last time out, but he’s already gone past that point here...
The Irishman has managed to catch fellow southpaw Flores on the end of a few left crosses, though.
Flores is already sporting a cut around his right eye, too. Another left hand is on the mark for Cully.
Flores puts together a series of hooks to the body, but Cully is unfazed.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:15 , Alex Pattle
Here we go.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
21:11 , Alex Pattle
Gary Cully vs Wilfredo Flores is up next – a clash of unbeaten lightweights!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:59 , Alex Pattle
Cheavon Clarke def. Israel Duffus via unanimous decision (98-88, 98-88, 98-90).
Clarke stays unbeaten!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:57 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 10
Final round! Can Clarke find a finish? He seems equally concerned with avoiding any silly mistakes.
Lots of grappling between the cruiserweights. A short right hook tags Duffus, but he takes it well.
But with almost the final punch of the fight, a right hook drops Duffus!
It’s such a well-timed punch from Clarke. Duffus makes it to his feet and past the final bell, however.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:52 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 9
Two rounds to go. Duffus with more jabs, but there’s nothing behind them.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:48 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 8
A sharp right cross snaps back the head of Duffus, who then goes southpaw.
Duffus flicks out a series of jabs, but mainly as range-finders. Clarke comes back with a hook.
A clubbing left hook follows for Clarke after Duffus misses with an uppercut.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:44 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 7
Duffus windmills a shot at Clarke, who reads it with ease and blocks. Duffus tries to stay light on his feet, circling neatly to his left.
He catches Clarke with a short, stiff right hook! An uppercut misses for the Jamaican-born Briton now. The cruiserweights clinch against the ropes. Duffus seems happy just to recover, and Clarke laughs as they separate.
And down goes Duffus, but due to his own overcommittal to a hook!
A snapping left hand catches the Panamanian’s attention once he’s back on his feet. More shots land, and again Duffus hits the canvas!
He rises and will make it to the end of the round. In fact, he times a nice left hook.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:40 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 6
Duffus goes down with the first punch of the round! He beats the referee’s count and suggests that it was just a trip.
Clarke will go for the finish anyway, and he pummels Duffus with a mean left hook, the shot that has been most effetive for the Briton tonight.
Clarke lands one punch slightly too low, and Duffus is given a moment to recover.
Back under way, and Clarke is digging upperuts into the body of Duffus, before backing him up.
Clarke clearly wants to get the Panamanian out of there in this round. A brutal uppercut slides inside Duffus’ guard in close, and a left hook follows!
Another sends Duffus wobbling backwards, and he takes a knee... He’s able to continue with 30 seconds left in the round.
Both fighters collapse to the canvas in a clinch before the round ends.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:35 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 5
Clarke’s corner calls for him to be more “ferocious” now and target the body. This is the first time he’s gone five rounds.
A right uppercut and left hook connect for Clarke. He doubles up his left hook again – once more striking the body then the head.
Still Duffus comes forward, flitting between southpaw and orthodox. He’s still smiling, too, and times a right overhand after a Clarke jab.
But Clarke lands a clean, naked left hook! Duffus absorbs the shot well, but he’s backed into the corner now.
Another fierce left hook lands for Clarke, then a right that has Duffus lolloping against the ropes!
The bell saves the Panamanian. Duffus is breathing heavily as he makes his way back to his corner.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:31 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 4
Duffus goes southpaw and backs up Clarke.
Clarke reaches for a right hook and lands. Now he doubles up with left hooks – one to the body of Duffus, one to the head.
More stance-switching from Duffus, who squeezes a left uppercut through but isn’t landing anywhere nearly as frequently anymore.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:27 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 3
Clarke buries a spiteful right hook into the mid-section of Duffus.
Duffus then presses forward, fighting behind his jab. He just slips a big right overhand attempt from Clarke, who then lands a strong left.
Duffus laughs it off, and Clarke drops his hands and stands still in front of the Panamanian.
An uppercut staggers Duffus now! That’s Clarke’s best shot so far. Could that be a significant moment in this fight?
Hooks are landing in multitude for Clarke as the round comes to an end.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:22 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 2
Clarke puts together a tidy combination that ends with a flush right hook to the head of Duffus, who looks a bit agitated by those shots.
He tries to reply with his own heavy output, but his timing is somewhat off.
Clarke slips a punch to his left then leans back with a slick right cross! He’s smiling at Duffus now.
Clarke blocks two big overhands but doesn’t fire back. Duffus laughs after overcommitting to a left hook and swinging himself off balance.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:18 , Alex Pattle
Clarke vs Duffus – Round 1
Two big overhand rights from Duffus early on, as he looks to catch Clarke off guard. Good head movement from Duffus, too, until he’s caught by a left counter hook.
Clarke takes those early licks well then gets on the front foot. Both fighters throw hooks simultaneously, but neither lands clean.
Clarke steps onto a brutal left hook, but again he absorbs the strike well and keeps pressing forward.
A fine start from Duffus, but as a short-notice replacement will he have the gas tank for 10 rounds?
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:15 , Alex Pattle
And we’re under way...
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:11 , Alex Pattle
Next up, Jamaican-born Briton Cheavon Clarke takes on Israel Duffus at cruiserweight.
Panama’s Duffus is stepping in for Dec Spelman here.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
20:01 , Alex Pattle
Diego Alberto Ruiz def. Gamal Yafai via unanimous decision (98-89, 97-90, 97-91).
No surprises there.
Ruiz gets his first win in the UK on his fifth attempt!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:57 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 10
Final round! Realistically, Yafai is fighting for pride or a shock finish here.
The Briton’s head movement is better, but he still eats a brutal left hook, then another that puts him down!
Yafai is okay to continue, but that’s the third time he’s been knocked down tonight.
Ruiz continues to punish Yafai, and the latter’s coach is on the ring apron, considering throwing in the towel...
Yafai just about makes it to the final bell!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:53 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 9
Yafai’s coach warns him that the towel will come in if Yafai does not start moving his head to avoid more shots.
Yafai whips hooks to the midriff of Ruiz, who is then backed up against the ropes.
The Briton is following him around the ring and trying to wear him down now. Ruiz catches him with an uppercut as Yafai dips his head to throw more hooks.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:49 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 8
Three rounds to go. Yafai manages another hard left hook, but Ruiz is still in control and outgunning his opponent.
Yafai pushes forward, puts his head down and unloads punches. It’s a messy affair right now, but both fighters are showing plenty of heart.
A jab snaps back the head of Yafai, who then eats a huge right hand!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:45 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 7
A clean left hook lands for Yafai, but Ruiz barely reacts.
Yafai is stringing together shots now, though. Another left hook lands flush on the chin of Ruiz.
Ruiz gets back on the front foot to end the round, however, and he walks Yafai onto a combination on the bell!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:41 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 6
Yafai is still producing a good level of output, but his Argentine opponent is getting more creative – mixing up his entries, angles and stances.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:38 , Alex Pattle
“You’re four rounds down, out of five,” Yafai’s coach tells him.
“Really?”
“Yeah, you won Round 1,” is the reply.
Indy Sport is inclined to agree.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:37 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 5
This is a brave display from Yafai, but he’s taking a lot of damage.
He unfurls a left hook into the ribs of Ruiz, who is quick to reply before circling to his left and flicking out jabs.
Ruiz wings an overhand right but misses, as Yafai tries to back him into the corner.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:34 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 4
Yafai comes out swinging, trying to turn this into a brawl! Ruiz gets lured in briefly but then gets back behind his jab.
He then tags Yafai with a harsh hook. Yafai’s head movement is already lacking. He eats a straight one-two.
Ruiz targets the body with a hook then swings an uppercut onto the chin of Yafai.
Yafai seems to stagger Ruiz momentarily in his best moment so far.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:29 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 3
Ruiz is firmly in control, switching stances and flitting around his opponent. He looks very relaxed and composed, while Yafai springs himself off balance with a hook attempt from range.
Yafai is loading up on his punches, and he eats a short shot from Ruiz, which sees Yafai drop to a knee...
It’s all going wrong for him, but he survives the round...
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:25 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 2
Slick right straight lands for Ruiz, piercing the guard of Yafai!
Now the super-bantamweights trade clean right hooks to the head, in close.
Ruiz scores a flash knockdown with a right hand and, after Yafai stands, goes in for the finish! He’s rocking Yafai with hooks here.
Yafai does well to kpe his head moving and even fire back, but he’s a bit out of sorts still...
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:21 , Alex Pattle
Yafai vs Ruiz – Round 1
The fighters trade jabs early, before Ruiz tags on a left hook and Yafai wings a right hook to the body.
More left hooks to the head from Ruiz, but Yafai does a decent job of getting his guard up to block them.
It’s Yafai who’s pressing forward now. He digs a series of hooks into the body of Ruiz, who fires back with a sharp right cross upstairs.
Now Ruiz goes southpaw briefly as the first round nears its conclusion.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:18 , Alex Pattle
Here we go!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:14 , Alex Pattle
Up first: Gamal Yafai vs Diego Alberto Ruiz at super-bantamweight.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:09 , Alex Pattle
“Tonight, Leigh 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.”
There’s still time to read Steve Bunce’s preview of this evening’s main event:
Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara must take ridiculous risks in X-rated clash
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:03 , Alex Pattle
Pro Debut 💥 @aaronbowenn #WoodLara pic.twitter.com/IEqM2A3W1U
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 18, 2023
Wood vs Lara LIVE
19:03 , Alex Pattle
As the main card begins, let’s take a look at a couple of the finishes from the prelims...
Over in R7! 🧨 @jdbostan #WoodLara pic.twitter.com/5wHYKHkHyc
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 18, 2023
Wood vs Lara LIVE
18:50 , Alex Pattle
T-minus 10 minutes until the main card begins!
Wood vs Lara LIVE
18:35 , Sports Staff
Ahead of YouTube star Jake Paul’s long-awaited boxing match with Tommy Fury, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, next weekend, check out our exclusive interview with Paul.
“I think people... they don’t think I’m a real person. And I think they judge me from my past a lot, versus looking at who I am today. I think, as humans, we naturally do that, so I get it.”
More here:
Wood vs Lara LIVE
18:31 , Alex Pattle
Two more prelim results in the books!
Aaron Bowen wins his pro debut with a first-round stoppage of Mathieu Gomes at middleweight, after Junaid Boston’s seventh-round TKO of Peter Kramer at light-middleweight.
Wood vs Lara LIVE
18:15 , Alex Pattle
In Indy Sport’s end-of-year boxing awards for 2022, Wood’s clash with Conlan secured wins in two categories – fight of the year and KO of the year.
Jack Rathborn on why it was fight of the year: “In a classic featherweight scrap in the cauldron that is the Nottingham Arena, Conlan jumped out to a lead with his speed, dropping the champion in the first round. But Wood, roared on by the home crowd, closed the gap and delivered an absolutely devastating 12th-round knockout. Conlan sunk into the ropes before “Lethal” drove him through them, sparking wild scenes of celebration, including the Nottingham man performing a Jurgen Klinsmann in the ring. The rematch could be among the most anticipated fights of 2023.”
Ollie Cooper on why the finish was KO of the year: “Talk about a comeback! Wood was all but done after a monster left hook caught him on the chin at the end of Round 1 and he was saved by the bell. While the narrative of the comeback in an epic 12-rounder is enough to rave about, the knockout itself is well worthy of this award. When it eventually came in Round 12, the finish was brutal, with a flurry of devastating right hands seeing Conlan stumble then dramatically fall through the ropes and out of the ring.”
Boxing in 2022: Best fight, knockout, fighter and more
Wood vs Lara LIVE
17:58 , Alex Pattle
Here is the card for tonight, including the first couple of prelim results:
Leigh Wood (C) vs Mauricio Lara (WBA world featherweight title)
Dalton Smith (C) vs Billy Allington (British super-lightweight title)
Cheavon Clarke vs Israel Duffus (cruiserweight)
Gary Cully vs Wilfredo Flores (lightweight)
Gamal Yafai vs Diego Alberto Ruiz (super-bantamweight)
Aaron Bowen vs Mathieu Gomes (middleweight)
Junaid Boston vs Peter Kramer (light-middleweight)
Kieron Conway def. Jorge Silva (super-middleweight)
Sam Maxwell def. Shaun Cooper (super-lightweight)
Wood vs Lara LIVE
17:46 , Alex Pattle
“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.
“Tonight, 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.”
Read Steve Bunce’s preview of tonight’s main event:
Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara must take ridiculous risks in X-rated clash
Wood vs Lara LIVE
17:29 , Alex Pattle
Leigh Wood fights Mauricio Lara in a main-event bout at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena tonight, as the hometown fighter defends the WBA featherweight title against the Mexican challenger.
Wood last fought in March at the same venue, as he retained the belt with a 12th-round knockout of Michael Conlan – a KO-of-the-year contender that came after the 34-year-old recovered from a knockdown and fought from behind on the scorecards. It was a third straight stoppage win for the Briton, who improved his record to 26-2 (16 KOs) in the process.
Meanwhile, Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) most recently competed in October, stopping Jose Sanmartin in the third round in Mexico City. The result marked the 24-year-old’s second consecutive third-round victory, and he will be seeking another early finish as he enters hostile territory this evening.
