BN Verdict: Leigh Wood may not like the shutdown today but will increasingly appreciate it in the days to come
The day before featherweights Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara clashed in a boxing ring in Nottingham, they both put on weight in a pre-fight weigh-in, customary pre-fight, and stare. staring at each other for the sake of the camera, hoping to gain some psychological advantage that they both knew, in their hearts, would mean nothing once the first bell rang.
Interestingly, it was during this time, with the language barrier one of the many obstacles between them, that Wood could be heard saying to Lara, “You’re going to have to kill me, you’re going to have to kill me,” and he did. shook his head defiantly. Of course, upon hearing this, it felt like Wood was simply stressing to Lara that the only way for him to lose in teamfights, in front of his home fans, was if Lara finished him off. unequivocally, so Wood was given no choice but to admit defeat.
At the time, these words were innocuous; It’s no different than anything else you might hear in a fight and definitely shouldn’t be taken literally (because a fighter’s safety is paramount, and no fight is ever going to happen). is “fight to the death” even if some people, unfortunately, turn out that way). However, shortly after Leigh Wood found herself intercepted by Mauricio Lara tonight (February 18) in the seventh inning of a competitive back-and-forth fight, the words returned to greater relevance. and new context and explains to some extent Wood’s reaction is blocked in the way that he is blocked.
Because, unfortunately for Wood, instead of going on the field with his shield – which I assume is the technical term for what he meant by weight – he was knocked down instead. in the seventh inning and after, without being given a chance. to try to stay alive, was knocked out of the competition by coach Ben Davison’s white flag waving. In other words, it was the end Wood had feared; The ending he promised Lara won’t be his.
Unlike what Anthony Yarde went through three weeks ago in London, Wood will now have to face the fact that his corner kick made the match-ending decision that only he, the boxer. , can control inside the ring. Like Yarde, he will balance his natural anger at being told “no” with, hopefully, a realization that Davison, like Tunde Ajayi, is concerned about him and his well-being. and basically predict what will happen next, based on both his knowledge of Wood and his knowledge of Lara.
For Lara, just like Artur Beterbiev, was not the man many survivors were up against when placed in the position Wood finds himself tonight. He was a featherweight all-or-nothing maniac and had six rounds waiting for his moment to strike and send Wood into disarray, as he did in the seventh round. In fact, from time to time, Lara can be seen in exchanges being seen uploading that left hook – the finishing blow – and getting closer and closer to landing as the job goes on. Wood’s body is missing and blood continues to flow from his left eye. His face.
Wood and Lara exchange punches in Nottingham (Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
In retrospect, that was the kind of ending the fight was built on in the first half. No one is willing to take a step back, it can definitely only end one way. The more they trade, the bloodier Wood becomes (the result of a head-on clash in the first half), and the more likely it is that a shot from either of them will change the course of the match. conspicuous way.
Until then, they took turns fighting and winning the rounds. In the first round, Wood, 33-8 (16), who went on the field with faith and purpose, took the center of the ring and delivered sharp punches, while in the second round it was Lara, 26-2. -1 (19) , who is more aggressive, attacks well on the body.
Also in the second round, Wood had his first favorable right hand strike, which would turn out to be an important punch for him throughout the game and in the second round assisted Lara into a corner, The shouts of the Nottingham fans could then be heard. It may be too early, Lara still hasn’t finished, as he showed when he landed on his right, sending Wood staggered 30 seconds into the round and spurring the Mexican to resume a series of shots. painful hit.
Meanwhile, by the fourth round, instead of simply taking turns exchanging moments, they exchanged blows in fierce exchanges. A Lara right-left hook combination stunned Wood on one occasion, but Wood’s response with a solid right hand immediately earned his opponent’s respect.
In addition, Wood, in the fifth inning, troubled Lara with a shot that Lara considered low. He then chases him and trades with Lara as Lara first shakes her head, confused as to why the low shot isn’t called what, before instinctively swinging the left hook, testing the terrain he will discover exactly in the seventh shot.
Many times, when making this throw, Lara appeared desperate, even discouraged. Of the two, it was clear Wood was the one who seemed more measured, leaner, and more precise. His straight shots, especially the right cross, helped tame Lara in the fifth and sixth inning, a round where Lara could be seen smiling, albeit only ever. is disappointing.
Of course, it’s a different kind of smile we see on Lara’s face in season seven. Still trading, the only language the Mexican boxer knew, this time, Lara, with 24 seconds left of the round, snapped his left hook into Wood’s chin causing the host fighter to lie on his back and attempt to stand. wake up in time.
Wood did it, going above “five”, however much to his dismay, it was when he straightened and was asked by referee Michael Alexander to raise his gloves that Wood’s duty was confirmed. determined to be the end; decided not by Lara, who was emerging to have her own say in the matter, not even by Wood himself, who said his opponents would have to kill him to defeat him. . Instead, it was decided by the toss of the white scarf and the call of a coach, who himself had never hit a punch in the professional ring, felt he understood enough. knows and sees enough to stop a professional boxer, whom he trains. and care, don’t take any more.
Leigh Wood (Mark Robinson/Matchroom)
It goes without saying that there is no exact science to prevent a war. That is why no stop is widely celebrated by fans, reporters and boxers alike. Each stop offers a different perspective, with fans often wanting more action and blood, reporters often wanting to be extra cautious for fear of repeating something they’ve witnessed before, and fighters – be it the fighters involved or fellow fighters – often want to uphold the so-called “warrior rule” and go out with their shields, knowing there is no doubt about it. Undoubtedly, there was nothing they could do to prevent failure.
Moreover, you see today, thanks to the power of social media that has empowered billions of people who don’t want to think before commenting, that there are a lot of people who want to make hasty comments after shutting down while Never take the time to explore any kind of shades or gray areas. After all, doing so will only cause embarrassment, or agreeable shrugs, which, on the contrary, will lead to one of the extremes – “Worst Strike Ever!” or “The best stop ever!” – more assurance that their comments will be seen and debated or supported.
Likewise, because the name of today’s game is attention-grabbing, there’s a tendency for new skepticism to emerge about the coach’s decision to intervene and make the moment all about them. This, fair or not, is another symptom of the social media age and isn’t exactly helped by some coaches trying to put themselves first and center, possibly online. social or during competition week.
However, in the end, when evaluating a breakpoint, there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer. A stop can be, as with most things in life, and depending on your point of view, both right and wrong. For example, tonight’s game could be seen as a good thing because it saved Leigh Wood from further punishment in an already tough competition, and it could also be seen as bad because it never happened. hour for the same boxer to win at that point of stoppage time, for the benefit of the doubt about surviving the final seconds of that seventh round.
Sixteen years ago, remember, Graham Earl endured a tumultuous first- and second-round bout against Australia’s Michael Katsidis and seemed in need of rescue, only his An attempt to save him in the second round, by throwing the towel in, was rejected by referee Mickey Vann, who threw the towel out of the ring as soon as it arrived. An incredibly brave decision at the time, one that could easily backfire, Vann believes, based on his experience and vantage point, that Earl still struggles within him and his corner. he, when acting the way they were, is operating more effectively on emotions than anything else.
Initially, Vann was also proven right. Earl, having weathered Hurricane Katsidis, somehow returned to drop Katsidis a few seconds later and quickly regained momentum in his favor. However, alas, the Luton man, despite staying to execute, was stopped after five rounds.
Ben Davison, no better than anyone else, can’t predict the future, so it’s impossible to be certain tonight whether Leigh Wood will actually survive the seventh round and recover in the eighth, or has More likely, Mauricio Lara’s left hook just signaled the beginning of the end.
If preemptive, Davison’s decision was sharp, wise, and benevolent. It goes against everything that Leigh Wood, his fighter, believes in and wants from a fight, as he makes clear in the weight section, but it defines what we demand from the fighters. corner fighter and trainer: become the eyes and ears of a boxer who knows, in the middle of a fight, has become numb to everything but the need to punch, deal damage, and render another similarly unconscious.
