The finish line is well in sight for Leigh Wood. Job one was to regain the title, which the 34-year-old Nottingham native did in near flawless fashion. Wood soundly outboxed Mauricio Lara over twelve rounds in their DAZN-aired rematch this past Saturday to regain the WBA
Wood, Lara Rematch Photos Gallery - Manchester - In a rematch for the vacant WBA featherweight title, Leigh Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) got revenge as he outboxed and outworked Mauricio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KOs) for a dominant twelve round unanimous decision. (photos by Mark Robinson)
After losing his belt on the scales, Mauricio Lara lost the fight to Leigh Wood by getting out-worked. Coming into this fight, Lara had averaged 60 punches thrown per round over his last five fights. In this fight he averaged 26 punches thrown per round.
This turned out to be a U.K. trip that Mauricio Lara would love to forget. One day after ending his title reign at the scale, the visiting Mexico City native was soundly outpointed by Leigh Wood who avenged a prior knockout defeat to regain the WBA featherweight title. Judges Victor Simons (118-109), Howard Foster (118-109) and Jose Ignacio Martinez (116-111) were unanimous in scoring for Wood, who prevailed in their DAZN-aired title fight rematch Saturday evening from AO Arena in Manchester, England.
Leigh Wood didn’t waste a second to inform his team to immediately secure a second fight with Mauricio Lara. There wasn’t a doubt in Wood’s mind that any other fight made as much sense as a straightaway rematch. The recently dethroned WBA featherweight titlist pushed promoter Eddie Hearn to make it happen and as quickly as possible. The pair of top-rated featherweights are prepared to run it back this weekend, just 13 weeks after Lara scored a come-from-behind seventh-round stoppage on February 18 in Wood’s hometown of Nottingham, England.
Mauricio Lara is less concerned about replicating his dramatic title act. By his own admission, the former WBA featherweight titlist longs for a return to the unadulterated level of violence that saw him rise to prominence. Simply put, Leigh Wood should expect a much shorter night at the office during their second act.
A hard conversation will take place among the team surrounding Leigh Wood. As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, the WBA featherweight belt is at stake only for Wood in his currently scheduled rematch versus Mauricio Lara. A pre-fight week check deemed it unsafe for Mexico City’s Lara to perform the
Lara, Wood Rematch Weights Photos Gallery - Mauricio Lara lost the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight belt after failing to make weight on Friday. However, the Mexican will step into the ring to face Leigh Wood this Saturday but only the Brit will have the option to win the crown. (photos by Mark Robinson)
Leigh Wood is now the only main event fighter eligible to fight for his old title. Rumors of weight struggles for Mauricio Lara were confirmed prior to the start of Friday’s official pre-fight weigh-in. A weight check during fight week prompted the British Boxing Board of Control to deem it unsafe for Lara to attempt to make the 126-pound featherweight limit on Friday. The BBBofC set a minimum limit of 128 ½ pounds for which Lara could step on the scale. The development will likely result in his being stripped of the WBA featherweight title.
By Keith Idec - Michael Conlan wants Leigh Wood to win his rematch with Mauricio Lara on Saturday night in Manchester, England. If Wood were to avenge his seventh-round, technical-knockout loss to Lara and Conlan beats Luis Alberto Lopez, Conlan’s own rematch with Wood would be a 126-pound title unification fight. Conlan will challenge Lopez for the Mexico City native’s IBF featherweight title Saturday night in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Conlan’s hometown. While Conlan hopes Wood wins, he doesn’t see it happening.