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JEFF POWELL: Leigh Wood is a rare breed of professional boxer, truly ready to take on anyone who comes along… and the Brit is ready to prove it on Saturday night against Mauricio Lara, one of the hardest punchers on the planet.
- Lara was born from the Mexican tradition of men prepared to go to war in the ring.
- He proved dangerous when he knocked out Josh Warrington in nine rounds.
- Wood demonstrated his ability to absorb punishment with Michael Conlan
Most boxers claim that they would take on everyone, including the biggest punchers in the world. Not everyone passes that test when the moment of reality arrives.
Leigh Wood is a professional boxer who lives up to the boast.
As he will this Saturday night when he defends his world featherweight title against one of the hardest punchers on the planet.
Wood’s challenger, Mauricio Lara, was born out of the Mexican tradition of men prepared to go to war in the ring. He’s also blessed with knockout power and a tough chin.
The Motorpoint Arena is about to fill up with Nottingham citizens who love their local champion for all the courage this fight will take from him.
Leigh Wood during a media training session at the Ben Davison Performance Centre, Essex
Josh Warrington (left) and Mauricio Lara (right) in their international featherweight contest during the boxing event at the Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Lara proved dangerous in Leeds when he defeated former world champion Josh Warrington over nine rounds.
Wood is not stupid. He knows very well the threat that is presented to him. But he also showed his ability to absorb punishment and his ability to win a fight with one punch when he took everything Michael Conlan could throw at him and then burst the balloon of the great Irish hope with a sledgehammer in the final round.
As he prepares for this tougher task, Wood is not shy about it. He swears: ‘I’ll come out of the first bell and greet him in the middle of the ring.’
Says Lara: ‘If he chooses to trade blows, it’s all over for him as soon as he makes his first mistake.’
Wood cites that last Hail Mary against Conlan as the basis for his expectation that “this guy is going to run out of gas by the end of the fight and I’m going to take him out.”
Wood and Lara final press conference ahead of their WBA world featherweight title fight on Saturday night
Warrington expects Wood to do just that. He sees a fight against this weekend’s winner as a route back to the top, saying: “It would be great to do it with Leigh in front of a big crowd at the City Ground.”
Given that Warrington only escaped a technical draw from a rematch with Lara when one of his trademark bull’s-head attacks inflicted a supposedly ‘accidental’ cut, that would seem preferable to another red-hot Mexican night.
Whether Wood makes that encounter possible or not, by holding out against a man ten years his junior at 24, Nottingham can hope to witness a thriller to bring his hometown hero from under the radar to a wider national audience.
Wood v Lara will be televised live on DAZN this Saturday night.