Leigh Wood will get the chance to regain his status as world champion next month.
The Nottingham featherweight succumbed his WBA crown to Mexican danger man Mauricio Lara at the Motorpoint Arena back in February.
Wood seemed to be in complete control of the fight, exclusively live on DAZN, after six rounds, but it was turned on its head in the seventh as both men traded left hooks.
Lara, who was well known to British fight fans for his showdowns with former IBF champion Josh Warrington, landed his shot far cleaner than Wood and he laid the local man on his back in the seventh.
Wood rose to his feet, albeit unsteadily, and was going to be allowed to continue by referee Michael Alexander before his trainer, Ben Davison, waved the towel to force the fight to be halted.
"I had him beat, he was running out of ideas and gassing," Wood, who had a rematch going into the first fight as the champion, said.
The rematch will take place on May 27 at Manchester’s AO Arena on the same broadcasting platform as the pair’s first fight.
“I got a little too carried away and thought he was ready to go –– and he wasn’t,” Wood added. “I swapped shots with him, held my feet and paid the price.”
Jack Catterall, the Chorley super-lightweight who many regard as the uncrowned undisputed champion in the 140-pound division after his controversial points defeat at the hands of Josh Taylor in February 2022, recently inked promotional terms with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.
And ‘El Gato’ (26-1, 13 KOs) will return to the ring as part of the supporting cast, with further additions to the bill set to be revealed in due course.