Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara Set for Title Clash on September 24
On August 7, 3Kings Boxing reported that negotiations were underway for a bout between reigning WBA featherweight Regular champ Leigh Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) and Mauricio Lara (24-2-1, 17 KOs). At that time, we promised to provide any further developments. Well, here is the update. Matchroom Boxing has announced that Wood and Lara have agreed to terms. The two will face each other on September 24 at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England live on DAZN.
Wood is coming off a dramatic twelfth-round KO over Michael Conlan in March 2022. The champ was behind on the scorecards entering the final round. But midway through the twelfth, he suddenly struck with a series of punches that knocked Conlan out!
Now he faces Lara, ranked second by the WBO and third by the IBF. The challenger is considered a legit threat, but in a statement via Matchroom, Wood welcomes the challenge as he gets another opportunity to fight in his hometown of Nottingham.
EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE
“I maybe have a handful of fights left, and I want them to be my biggest. I want to be tested. I’m filling arenas now, and I want to keep that momentum going. Every fight should be a step forward, not backward. Mauricio Lara is dangerous but high-risk, high reward. I’m confident I can do what Josh Warrington couldn’t do and get the job done.”
Leigh Wood, WBA Regular featherweight champion
Lara burst on the international scene when he scored a ninth-round stoppage of two-time featherweight champion Warrington in February 2021. They rematched in September that year, but the contest ended in a second-round technical decision draw after Lara suffered a cut from a Warrington headbutt. In his last bout, Lara scored a wild third-round KO over Emilio Sanchez in March 2022.
It’s his first world title opportunity. The 24-year-old from Mexico City, Mexico understands the task at hand. But in a released statement, he’s ready to do whatever it takes to leave the ring as the new champ.
READY TO PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE
“I’m very excited. This is the opportunity that I have worked so hard for and I am not going to miss it. I am aware that Leigh Wood is a great fighter, but no one is going to take away the possibility of me becoming a world champion. I’m going to England for the third time, and it’s like I’m fighting at home.”
Mauricio Lara
Both fighters like to apply pressure and carry power in both hands. However, Wood and Lara are far from the best defensive fighters in the world. On paper, you have the ingredients for a very entertaining scrap that should have the Motorpoint Arena crowd rocking.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
