Eddie Hearn outbids Top Rank to win Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan purse bid
Well, it is official. WBA ‘regular’ featherweight champion Leigh “Leigh-thal” Wood (23-2, 15ko) and mandatory challenger Michael Conlan (16-0, 8ko) will fight on DAZN.
When the WBA started the consolidation of belts process, it actually ended up being a good thing as it has created some very intriguing fights. The organization has been ordering purse bids as if they are in a fast-food restaurant drive-thru.
One of those intriguing fights is between Wood and Conlan. Oddly enough, DAZN will host another Top Rank fighter on its platform after promoter Eddie Hearn secured the rights to the fight.
Wood is coming off the performance of his career defeating Can Xu for the regular title. That victory has revitalized his career after suffering a disappointing majority decision loss to James “Jazza” Dickens back in 2020.
WHERE SHOULD THEY FIGHT?
The British championship fight with Xu was bumped up to main event status, after Conor Benn and Adrian Granados were pulled from the card. Inspired by the pro-U.K. crowd at DAZN promoter Eddie Hearn’s Fight Camp, Leigh-thal checked all the boxes in the fight. Wood punctuated his dominant performance by scoring a sensational twelfth-round knockout. Hearn may want to make the fight in the U.K. at Wembley Arena in front of an even bigger crowd, after such a large fan turnout at Fight Camp.
Conlan has come a long way since flipping off the judges for robbing him in the 2016 Olympic games quarterfinal. The young man used his anger as fuel, knocking out four opponents in a row under the Top Rank banner. Consequentially, he has been booked exceptionally well by taking advantage of his Irish roots and fighting in New York on St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
Hearn could be financially motivated to host the fight in a media-rich environment at the famous Madison Square Garden. The question remains will he want to put his fighter at such a disadvantage?
Conlan took to social media to show he is in favor of the latter idea.
Fans can expect both men to give it all they got in a crowd-pleasing affair, regardless of where the fight takes place.
By: Garrisson Bland
