Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara | DAZN - 18 February 2023

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Counter-puncher]

breakfast of champions

[MightyWarrior]

Thought Mo looks ok on the scales, not too bad, they were both chugging water after. Lara’s team tried to get Leigh back on the scales, but Hearn told em to do one. I believe Leigh’s haircut is know as a modern mullet.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Undercard Weights

DAZN main card, 7:00 p.m. GMT/2:00 p.m. EST

Dalton Smith (13-0, 10 KOs), Sheffield, Yorkshire, 139 pounds vs. Billy Allington (10-1-4, 0 KOs), Egham, Surrey, 139 pounds—12 rounds, junior welterweight

Cheavon Clarke (4-0, 4 KOs), Gravesend, Kent, 199 pounds vs. Israel Duffus (20-8, 18 KOs), Los Angeles via San Miguelito, Panama, 197 pounds—rounds, 10 cruiserweight

Gary Cully (15-0, 9 KOs), Naas, Ireland, 134 pounds vs. Wifredo Flores (10-0-1, 5 KOs), Dunkirk, New York via Ponce, Puerto Rico, 134 pounds—10 rounds, lightweight

Gamal Yafai (19-2, 11 KOs), Birmingham, West Midlands, 124 pounds vs. Diego Alberto Ruiz (23-6-1, 12 KOs), Las Talitas, Argentina, 123 1pounds—10 rounds, junior featherweight

DAZN ‘Before The Bell’, 4:15 p.m. GMT/11:15 a.m. EST

Aaron Bowen (pro debut), Coventry, West Midlands, 165 pounds vs. Mathieu Gomes (5-4, 5 KOs), Saint-Etienne-du-Bois, Ain, France, weight to come—6 rounds, middleweight

Junaid Bostan (4-0, 4 KOs), Rotterham, Yorkshire, 155 pounds vs. Peter Kramer (12-7-3, 8 KOs), Budapest, Hungary, 155 pounds—8 rounds, junior middleweight

Kieron Conway (18-3-1, 4 KOs), Northampton, Northamptonshire, 168 pounds vs. Jorge Silva (21-7, 12 KOs), Matoshinos, Portugal, 167 pounds—8 rounds, super middleweight

Sam Maxwell (16-1, 11 KOs), Liverpool, Merseyside, 144 pounds vs. Shaun Cooper (13-4, KOs), Willenhall, West Midlands, 143 pounds—6 rounds, junior welterweight

[pinklady]

Thought Mo looks ok on the scales, not too bad, they were both chugging water after. Lara’s team tried to get Leigh back on the scales, but Hearn told em to do one. I believe Leigh’s haircut is know as a modern mullet.

I though it was called a pot noodle

[Ruthless-RKO]

Heated weigh-in ends with challenger eating pizza on stage

WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood and opponent Mauricio Lara were involved in a bizarre weigh-in on Friday that saw the British boxer confronted by his rival's coach in an argument over the scales and ended with the Mexican sharing a pizza on stage with promoter Eddie Hearn.

Both hit the scales at exactly the 9st (126lb) limit in a heated public weigh-in for Saturday's world-title bout in Nottingham, but Lara's trainer, Alejandro Galindo, seemed to be angry because the scales were in kilograms, not pounds, and confronted Wood.

"The coach just grabbed Wood and I lost my cool a little bit because you shouldn't touch a fighter - they're making weight," Hearn told BBC Sport.

"The British Boxing Board of Control inspector then converted it. Wood was bang on the number but Lara's coach didn't see the weight. Then the inspector confirmed to the trainer the weight and he was fine."

Hearn and team Lara later put their squabble to one side when the challenger - who unconventionally was eating a pizza just minutes after weighing in - handed a slice to Hearn, perhaps as a peace offering.

"It was a cold pepperoni pizza, but I'm not going to moan about it," Hearn told BBC Sport.

"That's Mexican boxing for you. Over here Leigh Wood would be told when he can eat, which is normally after you refuel, about two hours after the weigh in. But Lara just wolfed the pizza straight down him."

'It was the perfect weigh-in'

The two fighters were separated by security after their face-to-face as they jostled when posing for the media, but Hearn does not feel either overstepped the mark.

"That's how you want a weigh-in to be - it was intense and it was perfect," Hearn said.

"You never want a headbutt or a slap because that can affect the fight. But those stills or video content you will see of them two going at each other, that's what a fan will look at it and be interested in.

"For me as a promoter and the security team, it is all about getting that and then stepping in at the right time."

Hearn also confirmed former two-weight world champion Josh Warrington - who was shocked by Lara in 2021 - will be ringside on Saturday night, and could face the winner.

He said: "Josh Warrington is the natural fight for Leigh Wood. Two Brits. Two massive fanbases. Josh will want the winner, but the winner will always be looking at unifications."

[garethhop]

Every boxer weighed bang on a number of pounds. Is that normal or just an announcement type thing? I dont pay attention to too many weigh ins but that seemed odd?

[Ruthless-RKO]

[MightyWarrior]

[MightyWarrior]

Misjudged the count, and was hoping the ref would give him a rest as a few landed when he was down

[Ruthless-RKO]

[margaret thatcher]

i watched a bunch of both of them today.....lara is no little mike tyson and wood can defo have success. lara is there to be hit and often just eats jabs with his chin in the air rather than bothering defend them. lara has slower hands than wood and his swings often leave him out of position too. wood is a sharper fighter and i expect him to have some good rounds with boxing and moving if he doesnt get blown away or seriously hurt straight away.

i do think eventually he'll find himself in big trouble though, lara has a lot of fire power and keeps at it. he puts together heavy shots in combos well and also invests in the body. i think wood will start to break eventually...can see it a bit like zelfa vs rakimov

[Ruthless-RKO]

Stats and Stakes

Leigh Wood

Age: 34
Titles: WBA Featherweight (2022-Present, 1st Defense)*
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’7
Weight: 126 lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Gedling, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Record: 26-2, 16 KO, 1 KOBY
Press Rankings: #4 (TBRB), #5 (Ring, BoxRec), #6 (ESPN)
Record in Major Title Fights: 1st Major title fight (2-0, 2 KO including WBA sub-title fights)
Last Five Opponents: 86-5 (.945)
Notable Outcomes, Ring/LBC Rated Foes: James Dickens L10; Can Xu TKO12; Michael Conlan TKO12
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

*Wood initially won the WBA sub-title in 2021 and defended once; since elevated to primary titlist

vs.

Mauricio Lara

Age: 24
Titles/Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’7
Weight: 126 lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Mexico City, Mexico
Record: 25-2-1, 18 KO, 1 KOBY
Press Rankings: #1 (TBRB, ESPN), #2 (BoxRec), #3 (Ring),
Record in Major Title Fights: 1st Title Opportunity
Last Five Opponents: 140-17-1 (.889)
Notable Outcomes, Ring/LBC Rated Foes: Josh Warrington TKO9, Tech. Draw 2
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Night!!

Pumped for this!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Predictions

Two-time world champion Josh Warrington: "Lara is the favourite, just, but it should be tight odds. However, I believe Wood will come with a good enough game plan to win.

"Wood should target Lara's body in the early stages and, as he starts to tire, I think he will start to box and take over in the late stages. Potentie.ally, Wood may get a late stoppag If not then a comfortable points win."

Northern Ireland's former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton: "I think it will be a fantastic fight. Two really big punchers. I think Leigh Wood has more about him than being a big puncher, but I'm not sure Lara does.

"Lara's really unorthodox but that power is dynamite. Wood may not be as powerful as Lara but will be more ring savvy. I hope Leigh Wood can do it and doesn't get carried away with the home crowd and get involved in too much of a fight. I'm sure [his coach] Ben Davison will drill it into him not to do that.

"It will be a cracking fight. I'm not going to pick a winner. But what I will say is that it doesn't go the distance. Someone will get chinned."

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn: "If Leigh Wood can get past three or four rounds I think he can stop him. But those opening rounds are going to be treacherous. How he got off the deck with Michael Conlan, he can't afford to get hit like that on Saturday night. Lara hits hard, is ferocious and doesn't stop coming forward."

Former light-middleweight world champion Hannah Rankin: "I can see potential knockdowns on both sides, but I'm going with another late knockout for Wood."

Featherweight James 'Jazza' Dickens, who beat Wood in 2020: "It's going to be a brilliant fight and I think Leigh Wood will sneak it. I think he'll get a good start by controlling the pace and then late on Lara will force the pace.

"I wouldn't be surprised if either man goes down, but I think Leigh Wood will sneak it late on and get it on a close decision, maybe a controversial decision."

Former super-featherweight world champion and BBC Radio 5 live analyst Barry Jones: "It's a real pick 'em fight, and whoever gets the better start might be the one who prevails. I'm going for Lara in a real firefight.

"I just think his looping punches will be harder for wood to block and counter off, than the more conventional work of Wood. Either way, it's guaranteed to be explosive while it lasts."

Former IBF featherweight champion Kid Galahad: "It's going to be an entertaining fight regardless of the outcome. Both fighters hit tremendously hard. It's going to be one of those fights where you can't afford to blink as one shot can change it all.

"My heart is saying Wood, my brain is saying Lara. Both fighters could leave the ring with a little bit missing out of them. This fight is going to go down in history as a blockbuster."

Wood's coach Ben Davison: "Lara is a dangerous puncher who came out of the abyss against the number one fighter at the time in Josh Warrington.

"Yes, he's dangerous, but he's also reckless, and I don't think he can be reckless against a puncher like Leigh."

[Boxerbeetle]

I think Lara is going to walk through him tbh.

[Boxerbeetle]

Being covered on 5 Live btw, for those of us not getting ripped off by DAZN

[a force]

Mitchell - Katsidis vibes for me.

Wood isn’t evasive, he gets hit plenty but he’s never been in with a world class puncher.

This isn’t a volume puncher or slick boxer. This is a monster who’s going to blast through him in a few rounds & silence the arena.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[THEBUTCH]

Leigh Wood v Mauricio Lara

BBC Radio 5 Live Sport5 Live Boxing

Live boxing commentary of Leigh Wood v Mauricio Lara from the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham.

1 hour, 30 minutes