YOU WILL be forgiven for forgetting that Mauricio Lara is only 24 years old. The Mexican featherweight – who challenges Leigh Wood to a featherweight title this weekend in Nottingham – looks impolite and speaks with the assurance and nonchalance of one of the seasoned veterans. of boxing.
It was late afternoon in Mexico City. “Bronco” Lara, 25-2-1 (18), sits with her family and young daughter after an exhausting brainstorming session and trying to convince boxing news why would he raise his hand on the night of the fight.
“Wood is a chicken. He couldn’t prove his wound from when we had to fight last year – he just didn’t want to fight,” Lara said. “But now I guess it’s his chance to prove himself to me. I’m at the best point of my career at the moment, so he’s going to have to bring something special to beat me. He has no way out at the moment.
A sold-out crowd inside Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night is expected. Lara’s opponents have been out of action since the dramatic win over Michael Conlan [rsf 12] last March – patient UK Battle of the Year 2022 – and is valued as a significant underdog with bookies certainly affected by Lara’s breakout UK performance when he upset Josh Warrington in 2021.
“Back to England? No problem,” Lara continued. “Being an away warrior is exciting for me. England is like my second home and I know I will have to return to get the opportunities I deserve. We know that British boxers run away from Mexican boxers [laughs]so I’m the one who has to travel.
“Nottingham fans can be as loud as Leeds fans if they want to, but that makes no difference to me. It just depends on me and Wood in the ring – not 5,000, 10,000 or more outside of it.”
“Bronco” decisively overcame Warrington to cause a major disappointment in the first teamfight but had to settle for a technical draw in the rematch due to a head-to-head clash in the second half.
“Mexicans have always been underestimated,” he explains. “No one expected me to do what I did to Warrington – but in my eyes he would never defeat me. Wood is another fighter, but I don’t see anything special about him. However, he’s going to have to be special to beat me, and if he does, he has the potential to be a great fighter.”
Lara was interrupted by his daughter, Aitanita, and this was the perfect opportunity for him to emphasize why he chose the fighting game.
“I fight for my family, to give them a better life. I had to fight to survive as a child, along with my seven brothers, and that made it harder for us as we got older. That’s the Mexican way. That’s why I fight no matter how I fight I fight in the ring, not back, not back, just forward and show aggression in the middle of the ring.
“If I become a world champion, there will be more and more opportunities for me to contribute. That’s what keeps me going every day. I’m going to need to prove I’m the best to be world champion, but in my mind, there’s no way I’m leaving Nottingham without that belt. And I’ll make sure I take my destiny into my own hands – I won’t let this fight depend on the judges’ scorecards.
“I didn’t come to the UK to be a ‘challenge’. I don’t follow the rules. That’s why I was nicknamed ‘Bronco’ by a former trainer – I’m tough and can’t be tamed. I’ve been like that all my life.”
Lara is a bit sloppy sometimes. He claims not to watch or enjoy other people boxing, but this has not hindered his dedication to the profession. Along with his father, Gerardo Lara, and trainers Alejandro Garrido and Isaac Rivas, he went through a detailed camp that included sharing many hits with featherweight super belt holder Emanuel Navarrete, along with several promising talent.
Often, boxers will refuse to look beyond the task at hand. But Lara is happy to plan further. “Once I beat Wood, I want the next Warrington,” he exclaimed. “It’s a personal thing between me and him now. He talks a lot about me outside of the ring, but can never say anything he says inside of it. This was proven again when he lost to Luis Alberto Lopez at the end of the year. He has no respect for us as Mexicans.
“I want Warrington to retire. And if I can do it in his own house, all the better. He’s a dirty boxer and I’ll need to be more aware of that if we fight a third time. I know that Lopez has the title now, but Warrington is still a fight where I need to draw the line.”
Becoming world champion has been an obsession for the 24-year-old since his first match against Warrington and as such, he believes beating Wood is just a formality. “It’s been two years since the first game against Warrington when I stepped into the ring with Wood and I’m confident of the same result,” he concluded. “If Wood wants to see me in the middle of the ring he will soon regret it – I am the greatest boxer in the tournament and in the best form of my career. Nothing will save him this time.”
