Leigh Wood rallies to stop Michael Conlan in the final round of classics

Leigh Wood has made the one-sided fight a classic.

The British featherweight contender appeared to be far behind on the scoreboard as he put Michael Conlan over the rope and blocked him midway through the 12th round^order and the final round on Saturday in Nottingham, England, Wood’s hometown.

The match is sure to be remembered as one of the most dramatic comebacks in British boxing history.

Conlan, a two-time Irish Olympic athlete with stellar skills, outmaneuvered his incompetent opponent for most of the match.

Footage of Leigh wood KO v Michael Conlan # Tall #Conlan # WoodConlan #TheCombatCorner pic.twitter.com/T0W4YgWtyj

– Battle Corner (@TheCombatCorner) March 13, 2022

Southpaw from Belfast beat Wood with a forehand in a split second before the half-time bell rang and couldn’t be missed as he plowed his punch into the rest of the match.

And that’s not his only effective weapon, as he unleashes all sorts of powerful, clean punches – including multiple body punches – from start to finish. He also proves to be an elusive target, making Wood’s night all the more frustrating.

However, Wood has spectacularly proven that persistence can pay off.

He had a pivotal moment in the final seconds of the action-packed Round 11, when a grazing left hand pushed Conlan onto the frame and instantly a controversial knock-out gave the boxer hope. countryside.

Then, in between give-and-take 12^order round, a punch – apparently a right hand – during the mess severely injured Conlan and he crashed through the ropes. Referee Steve Gray looked at Conlan over the top rope to determine if he could continue but quickly realized he was over and stopped the fight at 1:25, sending the crowd into a frenzy. bustle.

Boxing Junkie gave Conlan a 106-102 lead – eight innings to win three – in stoppage time, which allowed Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) to retain his second WBA title. Leo Santa Cruz is the sanctioning body’s 126-pound champion.

Paramedics looked after Conlan as he lay on the floor of Nottingham Arena and he was eventually taken on a stretcher to the hospital, leaving followers around the world unclear about his condition. It was later found that he was conscious and stable upon arrival.

Wood refused to celebrate the greatest victory of his career out of respect for Conlan.

“I can’t celebrate until I know he’s fine,” he said.

If one boxer deserves a rematch, it’s Conlan, who put in a stellar 11-round performance in the biggest test of his career. However, Wood will probably be eyeing a major title following his sensational win.

He definitely earned it.