BoxRec

Leigh Wood: Briton wants Mauricio Lara rematch in summer after losing world title to Mexican

Britain's Leigh Wood has said he wants to invoke a rematch clause against Mauricio Lara for a fight this summer.

Wood was stopped by Lara last month which saw the Mexican crowned WBA featherweight champion at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

The 34-year-old is confident of reclaiming the WBA belt and is eagerly pursuing a rematch.

"It's been hard because it still hurts. I want an immediate rematch," Wood told BBC Sport.

"I've told [promoter] Eddie Hearn that's what I want. I want the rematch as soon as possible.

"I want it as early as the end of May, or in June by the latest."

Wood and Lara have been linked with a possible fight against former two-time world IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington.

Lara has faced Warrington twice, viciously stopping him in 2021 before a second fight was brought to a halt because of a cut to the Mexican's head.

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn represents Wood and Warrington, and could pursue a third fight between Warrington and Lara.

Nottingham's Wood was controlling the fight against Lara before the heavy knockdown.

Wood's trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel as his fighter struggled to get back to his feet, despite there being only six seconds left of the seventh round.

Wood, who appeared shocked when the towel was thrown in, says his coach had his best interests at heart but believes he was capable of continuing.

"He's there to look after me but I'd rather die trying to win," Wood said.

"But I'll come back to fight another day and I've got two kids at home."

He added: "His job is to protect me. I think I would've been all right but I get why he did it."

Wood was the underdog going into the fight but was confident of beating Lara by following a meticulous gameplan with trainer Davison - something he plans on imitating in a rematch.

"I can't say too much because I don't want to give away the gameplan, but I knew that the first four rounds are when he's most dangerous and then he was gassing," Wood said.

"He was as I thought he was, and he didn't know what I was doing.

"I just got caught with a good shot. I got complacent, started planting my feet and paid the price."

God bless Wood for his bravery. I think he gets stopped in under 3 rounds in the rematch.

wood not gonna get over the 12 round finish line without getting caught eventually, and i think lara is too tough for him to stop. gotta go for lara again, even if he has to come from behind again

Leigh Wood has guts. But eventually I see Lara gettin to him.

Hope he can get this on at the city ground, wouldn't fill it but would be a big number.

Lara KO again.

I’d expect him to get knocked out. He has to box almost perfect to win the fight & he accomplished that for 6 rounds but as we know 36 minutes is a long time to evade Lara’s big shots.

The WBA Championships Committee sent notification to Otabek Kholmatov and his team confirming that he has been named the mandatory challenger in the 126-pound division following his victory over Thomas Patrick Ward in a final eliminator. The Uzbek is now the official challenger to the title currently held by Mexico’s Mauricio Lara. Should Lara decide to make an optional defense, he must seal that agreement before next April 18th. Otherwise, the Championship Committee will issue a mandatory negotiation notice for Lara vs. Kholmatov. Lara won his belt on February 18th by knocking out Leigh Wood in Nottingham, England. WBA rule C.11 reads “a boxer who obtains a title by defeating a champion must defend his title initially and subsequently against the official contender or the leading available contender... [non-heavyweight division] if he is the official contender, within nine (9) months from the date he obtained the title; if he is not the Official Contender, within one hundred and twenty (120) days.”

I'd give him a solid chance. Lara starts as favourite but Wood did hurt him to the body. He paid for his error. Luckily it was right at the end of the round...

I hate rematch clauses. Who in the world wants to see Laura give him a pasting again? Wood could fight Lara 10 times and he'd won zero

would rather see lara vs otabek tbh, although wood was doing well enough that a rematch is still interesting, albeit i think lara ko's him again

Wood should allow Lara and Otabek to smash each other up and fight Warrington instead. If he beats Josh he can always go back for a shot at the winner, assuming Eddie is Abel to get that clause inserted

I think we've probably seen the best of Wood and Lara is still coming on strong. Could be a painful night.

I'd rather see Wood v Warrington as a stadium fight, and I think that does bigger numbers than a Lara rematch. Lose to Lara again and that fight is severely diminished.

wood-war

lara-otabek

both better than wood-lara 2 (which tbf is still decent)

Lara is good but certainly not great. You wouldn't have seen the likes of Barrera or Morales having to pull out an equaliser like that.

Wood is fit as a flea and was doing well with the right hand, but he just couldn't resist going in with the left hook as well, which was his undoing.

If he fought smarter, he could beat Lara in a rematch.

lara is nowhere near those guys level, they had top level power, skill, and fight.....lara is basically a heavy handed but limited banger

but i think leigh did box close to his limit the first time. he was of course down vs conlan too. i dont think he's good enough to go 12 rounds at this level without getting nailed eventually, only the absolute elite wont make any mistakes, and lara just needs 1 from leigh

Lara has the kind of really hurtful power that wood doesnt and so it looks like hes getting stopped again .

“You're looking at Wood-Lara [on May 27] or looking at Lara against Warrington. Obviously, he's got the rematch, Leigh Wood, and it looks like he's going to exercise that,” Hearn told Boxing Social.

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑16 Mar 2023, 13:05 lara is nowhere near those guys level, they had top level power, skill, and fight.....lara is basically a heavy handed but limited banger

but i think leigh did box close to his limit the first time. he was of course down vs conlan too. i dont think he's good enough to go 12 rounds at this level without getting nailed eventually, only the absolute elite wont make any mistakes, and lara just needs 1 from leigh

Lara has gassed and been hurt/KO'd. Wood can hurt him and get him out of there or Lara could get outboxed like the first fight and gas. Wood will train to be more mobile and spoily. I think Lara catches him eventually but that has to be an in form Lara who would probably have to ensure a few rounds of being outboxed and possibly hurt a few times. I think Lara needs to be at his peak to win these fights. I don't think he will be at the top for a long time.

TheLeprechaun wrote: ↑25 Mar 2023, 11:02

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑16 Mar 2023, 13:05 lara is nowhere near those guys level, they had top level power, skill, and fight.....lara is basically a heavy handed but limited banger

but i think leigh did box close to his limit the first time. he was of course down vs conlan too. i dont think he's good enough to go 12 rounds at this level without getting nailed eventually, only the absolute elite wont make any mistakes, and lara just needs 1 from leigh

Lara has gassed and been hurt/KO'd. Wood can hurt him and get him out of there or Lara could get outboxed like the first fight and gas. Wood will train to be more mobile and spoily. I think Lara catches him eventually but that has to be an in form Lara who would probably have to ensure a few rounds of being outboxed and possibly hurt a few times. I think Lara needs to be at his peak to win these fights. I don't think he will be at the top for a long time.

Thaqt KO loss was 5 years ago. He was 20. He's not that same boxer anymore/

Date set.

Looking likely to be the rematch at AO Arena.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑31 Mar 2023, 09:43 Date set.

Looking likely to be the rematch at AO Arena.

Why Manchester and not Sheffield, if it's not Nottingham? I think they're missing a trick here, Lara-Warrington III seems much more appealing a fight, Wood to take on the winner.

cpx2 wrote: ↑31 Mar 2023, 09:48

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑31 Mar 2023, 09:43 Date set.

Looking likely to be the rematch at AO Arena.

Why Manchester and not Sheffield, if it's not Nottingham? I think they're missing a trick here, Lara-Warrington III seems much more appealing a fight, Wood to take on the winner.

Sheffield holds same amount as Notts.

Maybe they looking at getting some local lads.

Campbell Hatton? Aqib Fiaz, Jack Catterall?