Hearn Feels WBA Should Strip Leo Santa Cruz, Elevate Leigh Wood

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hearn Feels WBA Should Strip Leo Santa Cruz, Elevate Leigh Wood

Eddie Hearn has called on the WBA to strip Leo Santa Cruz if the WBA “super” featherweight title to allow Leigh Wood to become their premier champion.

Wood won the WBA “regular” title when he stopped Xu Can in the final round at Fight Camp on Saturday.

Santa Cruz, 32, has held the “super” title since 2017, when he regained it from Carl Frampton. But he has not boxed in the division since 2019 having won and lost a “super” title at super-featherweight. With the Mexican still the WBA’s main champion, it makes it more difficult to make a unification fight for Wood.

“They need to do is get Leo Santa Cruz out of the division and elevate him (Wood), because Santa Cruz hasn’t boxed in coming up to three years at featherweight,” Hearn said. “They keep saying he is going to come back down, but I don’t believe them.”

Wood was offered the fight at six weeks’ notice as a favor by Hearn to Golden Boy, the promoter that is also contracted to DAZN in the United States. Can had not boxed since 2019 and with no available show to put him on, they put out an appeal to Hearn.

“Golden Boy needed to get Xu Can out and they said ‘can we do it on one of your shows?’” Hearn said. “I said we can do it in the UK and I will provide the opponent. I said you can have Jordan Gill or Leigh Wood and they chose Leigh Wood = it was the worst decision they ever made.

“I hoped Leigh would win the fight but deep down I thought that Can Xu was a very strong favourite. But he just didn’t know how to deal with him.

“Every time Leigh switched to southpaw, he was getting pinged everywhere. It was probably a little bit of the trickery of Leigh Wood, a little bit of inactivity, but Leigh Wood schooled him.”

There has been talk about Wood looking to fight the winner of next weekend’s Jazza Dickens-Kid Galahad fight for the vacant IBF title, or Josh Warrington, if he wins he rematch with Mauricio Lara on September 4. But a block to that could be the rematch clause in Wood’s contract with Can.

“There is a rematch clause.” Hearn said. “I guess he will want it, but I just can’t see him winning that fight.

“There are some big domestic fights for him. If Jazza Dickens wins next week, maybe that is a good rematch, it was a good fight last time. The winner of Warrington-Lara maybe. And he has talked about a fight with Emanuel Navarette (the WBO champion). It’s a good division right now.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hearn should've said something before Can vs. Wood fight..

Also, he just wants to match Wood vs. Barry/Jazza

Also, Conlan vs. Doheny is for the WBA 'Interim' belt.



What a joke.

Can vs. Wood 2 might happen next anyway.. rematch clause.

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBA stripped Pacquiao. that's a precedent, they would have to strip Santa Cruz if they want to stay consistent.

Only difference is, LSC has fought since 2019, just not defended that belt, but held another WBA belt..

Pac hadn't fought at all.

[maverick23]

Hearn should've said something before Can vs. Wood fight..

Also, he just wants to match Wood vs. Barry/Jazza

Also, Conlan vs. Doheny is for the WBA 'Interim' belt.



What a joke.

Can vs. Wood 2 might happen next anyway.. rematch clause.

How can they justify sanctioning an interim belt fight when their normal title was fought for last week?! It literally makes no sense.

One of my old bosses had to leave work for 6 months so I was temporarily promoted to interim MD. When they came back I went back to my old position.

The WBA somehow get worse each week. Just call it a WBA eliminator so they still get a sanctioning fee and keep a little credibility.

[emallini]

Utter nonsense

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shambles!

[margaret thatcher]

leo hasnt fought at the weight in almost 3 years. his last 2 fights were in different divisions. id have no problem with it, though i'd prefer they order lsc -wood first, and then if lsc doesnt accept then strip him and upgrade leigh

[garethhop]

Shouldn't we just do what Boxing News are doing so well. Avoid this nonsense and just be excited about who Leigh Wood miight fight next.