Leigh Wood 126 Vs. Mauricio Lara 126 – Weigh-in Results

With Barry Holbrook: WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) and challenger Mauricio Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) both weighed in at the 126-pound limit on Friday for the huge their headliner this Saturday night February 18th at the 10,000 seater Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England.

Around 8,000 fans are expected to see 34-year-old Wood defend his title against 24-year-old Lara, who comes to Nottingham not only to beat Leigh but also to stop in front of her hometown crowd.

Oddsmakers have Lara as a near 3-to-1 favorite, who has a promoter Eddie Hearn was troubled because he believes Wood should be the favourite, given his time in the grade, the league, his skills and playing in front of his fans in Nottingham.

Unfortunately, Lara’s youth and sheer power at the welterweight level outweighs Wood’s experience, skill and hometown status. When a fighter has the power that Lara has, it doesn’t matter if you’re fighting in your living room in front of your family.

You’re going to get hurt, especially if you keep getting up and you’re completely out of it and can’t defend yourself.

As Lara has said repeatedly, she is coming to Nottingham to bring war to Wood, and plans to destroy him and take the WBA 126-lb title back to Mexico. trophy of war. The WBA belt will be the scalp Lara will try to take from Wood on Saturday.

Wood can win

“This is the biggest fight of his career. He has a huge following and a lot of support, with everyone in Nottingham rooting for him to do well. He’s tough, it’s a tough fight against Lara,” Carl Froch told Matchroom Boxing about City fighter Leigh Wood in his WBA featherweight title defense against favorite Mauricio Lara.

“Listen, Wood has what it takes to win this fight, and if he’s at his best,” Froch continued of his belief that Wood has what it takes to beat Lara. “I’m picking Leigh to win. I think it might even be a late stop like the counter [Michael] Conlan.

“He can win on points. He must be smart. it must be sharp and must stay lit all the way through. But Lara has this ability to knock him out at any stage of the fight, which is the danger. But wood is hard.

“He has grown mentally since the last fight [against Conlan in March 2022], but there’s something in the air. I feel it, and I think he can do it, and I think he can do it,” Froch said of Wood.

“I know he’s ready for it, he’s excited, he’s trained hard and he’s coming back from that injury [bicep]Froch said of the 34-year-old Wood. “He’s sorted that out and he’s back in the gym and he’s itching to get back in the ring and put in the work, but he’s got his hands full.

Leigh has a lot to gain

“Victory vs [Michael] Conlan coming back from the brink of defeat in the final nine seconds of the final round was a stunning performance. He kept believing in himself all the way. He continued to work hard, drilling away. He got the result. fair play to him, and what a win that was,” Froch said.

“This is going to make him grow mentally and make him a better fighter, a more well-rounded fighter,” Froch said of Wood. “If he goes into this fight believing in himself, he can do the job.

“I think he does, and that would be a massive fight,” Froch said when asked if Wood deserves to fight Josh Warrington at the City Grounds next if he emerges victorious against Mauricio Lara on Saturday night.

“It has to be a big name. Josh Warrington would be the one that makes the most sense because he’ll have a huge crowd and we’d love a home cry. But sure, if you can beat Lara. What is Lara, 24? He’s a pretty big puncher,” Froch said.

Mauricio Lara should be undefeated

“He [Lara] he lost his first match [against Julio Carabino by a four round split decision in 2015]which the Mexicans threw him in there, threw him right into the deep end, and I watched him the other night and he was stopped in the body [by Eliot Chavez in the first round in Lara’s thirteenth pro fight in May 2018]Froch said. “He was just getting up and the referee waved it away.

“It is for me [Lara] undefeated, and he’s a big puncher, and he means business, and he’s coming to win, but he’s coming to Nottingham. Leigh Wood is from Nottingham and I know the feeling you get when you’re at home and all your family and friends and all the people you went to school with are behind you, and you get in the ring like a man possessed.

“If Leigh Wood does this and works from round one to round twelve, if Lara doesn’t catch him. Even if he gets caught, we’ve seen him climb off the canvas. I just think this is a great fight, really exciting. I want Leigh Wood to win. If he wins, what is the next level from the sheriff? I’ll give him my sheriff’s badge. I don’t know what else I can give him.

“The City Ground, this is a match I wanted. Nottingham Forest City Ground would be amazing. We offered Andre Ward, but he didn’t want to come. To be honest, I probably would have beaten him at Nottingham Forest. It was going to be a hell of a fight and I would have done my best.

“With the atmosphere at the City Ground, I think it takes him to the next level. It brings out the best in you. If Leigh Wood can bring this match to the City Ground, it absolutely deserves it. If he wins this [Lara]this is a huge achievement if he wins it.

“If he does, it should only be at the City Ground. Eddie Hearn has to pull out all the stops to get him [Wood] there,” Froch said.