Russ Anber offers his views from Michael Conlan’s corner after the Irishman’s dramatic 12th round loss to Leigh Wood on Saturday night…
After ten rounds between Mick Conlan and Leigh Wood, Saturday night was shaping up to be one of my best nights in boxing.
Instead, it turned out to be one of the worst.
From the excitement in the first round with a beautiful and solid Wood knockdown in round 1 to the slashing and bleeding Mick in round two, this fight delivers every emotion you could ask for.
Going into the eleventh inning as I watch from the corner, I’m confident that two more rounds we’ll celebrate a great win, see Mick become the featherweight champion of the world and celebrate a great night.
And then one punch changed it from one of my best nights in boxing to one of my worst.
Now look, this is boxing. I know that. It’s a sport where anything is possible. One punch can change everything, following the old stereotype. I’ve played this game long enough to know that. Sometimes you’re on the right side of it and sometimes you’re on the far end of it, you’re part of a loss group and that’s a terrible feeling.
And I must say, it all goes to Leigh Wood, of course. The boy showed great heart and resilience. Initially, I thought he might not make it through to the second round but he was there like a true champ.
However, there were a few things that happened on Saturday night that I’m really not happy with.
First, in the 11th half, the referee had a howl when he defeated Mick. It’s ridiculous. It wasn’t a takedown and it changed the game. People can see it’s not a legitimate takedown. That decision meant we went from round 10-9 with Mick to round 10-8 with Leigh Wood. A three-pointer for a takedown that is not a knockdown. That was brutal. Never mind the fact that it should never be scored as a 10-8 round.
That decision gave Wood the confidence he needed and it affected Mick because instead of taking the lead in the final round, he had to worry about the scorecard for that three-point swing.
Another thing that annoys me is the safety aspect of the fight. It was clear from the way Mick was removed from the ring in the 12th match that the ropes were too loose. There’s no way a boxer has to cross such ropes – the ropes offer no support or resistance. And we’re talking about a guy in Mick who weighs only 126lbs. It’s not like he’s middleweight or heavyweight.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that any boxing commission anywhere would accept a situation where a tall ring was erected – three or four meters above the ground – with no tables on all four sides around the ring to prevent boxers from rush in. a cement base if they are knocked out of the ring. That is simply not true.
Thank God Mick was okay after falling over the rope and his brother Jamie caught the fall.
With television cameras cutting out what happened after Mick was knocked out, I don’t think many people realize how quickly he recovered. Because he was eliminated from the ring, there was a lot of panic and chaos in the arena. I’m not sure I like the way I handle all of that.
Security and medical staff seem to be panicking. Everyone was on top of Mick, there was no room for him to breathe. He came to his senses and returned to talking fairly quickly, he did not pass out for a long time. He didn’t break down or anything. They tried to give him an oxygen mask and he kept taking it off. He’s lucid, he’s sober, he’s talking to his dad, he’s talking to the doctor. If the knockout happens in the center of the ring, I believe it will be handled differently.
The most important thing, of course, is that Mick is fine. He went to the hospital, did the tests and was discharged again and returned to his hotel a few hours later. Above all, we must be grateful for that.
I also think Mick’s stock has risen despite this setback. He’s boxed great. I think he proved that he can punch. He has hurt Wood many times. He shows he can box on the inside, on the outside, as a male hitter or as a right-handed player.
Also keep in mind that prior to this game Mick had only 16 pro fights. He will remove a lot of things after this fight that will make him a better boxer in the future.
Knowing Mick as I do, he’ll recover from this. He has the mentality of a champion and he will be back.
Of course, it’s only March, but this is already the top contender that will be the fight of the year for 2022. It’s going to be tough to win this one. And let’s face it too – if any match in boxing history requires a rematch, it’s this one.
Russ Anber is talking to Luke G. Williams.
