A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
Knockouts like the one Leigh Wood delivered on Saturday will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
No, his 12order– Two-time Michael Conlan’s surrounding save failed to get past George Foreman’s knock-out against Michael Moorer to complete his remarkable comeback or even KO with a single shot. Carl Froch’s punch against George Groves in front of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium.
Those battles are far more important than the one between Wood-Conlan, with only one side title at stake.
However, could it be more dramatic?
Wood appeared to be quite far behind on the scoreboard with seconds remaining in Round 11, when the match was in full swing. That’s when Conlan went down from what looked like a cannibal punch, helping Wood with a 10-8 round and opening the door for a remarkable comeback.
It was nothing compared to what was about to happen. Halfway through the final round, Wood unleashed a series of powerful punches, one of which injured Conlan and sent him crashing through the ropes and onto the floor of Nottingham Arena.
The audience, fans of Wood’s hometown, went crazy. And I know I’m not the only one watching on television thinking, “Did that just happen?”
It did. Wood’s tenacity allowed him to turn what has come to be known as a disappointing performance into one of the most memorable in recent British boxing history, a distinction he will always have.
And, of course, it will lead to bigger wars ahead. Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) sits directly below respected WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz, whom Wood claims he wants to face in his next opener.
I don’t see him beating a boxer of Santa Cruz’s caliber, assuming the Mexican is near his best. However, I also don’t see Wood beating the talented Conlan.
A man who believes in himself and keeps trying can make something special. Wood reminds us of that again.
BAD
A good performance by Michael Conlan was deemed inappropriate when he was stabbed through the wire. Nigel Roddis/Getty Images.
Wood did not need a knockout to avoid defeat to Conlan.
Two of the three official judges gave Conlan a 104-103 lead after 11 rounds, meaning Wood would walk away with a draw if he wins 12.order loops on those cards instead of ending the problem with a knockout.
That’s not how I see the war. I scored it 106-102 for Conlan to go in 12order and the last round, eight rounds to three. In my view, all that the two-time Olympic champion had to do to complete a stellar performance was to stay on his feet until the final bell rang.
That’s the good Conlan way, in my opinion. I think he let Wood down for most of the skirmish, couldn’t miss with his excessive backhand and did a great job dodging Wood’s biggest hits.
To me, Belfast’s product looks like the elite fighter that many believe he will become.
And then, in a wild moment in the final half-round, all of the above for irrelevant when Conlan was chased over the wire and he couldn’t continue.
He’ll be in a position to fight for a 126-pound major title if he wins it. Now his future seems sadly uncertain.
How does one return the word that?
The possibility is there, of course. We saw it during the war. The question now is whether he is mentally persistent enough to put such a devastating setback behind him, to accept his unfortunate fate as “just part of boxing”.
We won’t know the answer to that question until Conlan returns to the ring with a capable opponent.
WORSE
Canelo Alvarez (left) and Dmitry Bivol prepare to fight May 7. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing
Don’t be shocked if Canelo Alvarez doesn’t challenge Russian light heavyweight owner Dmitry Bivol on May 7 in Las Vegas as planned.
Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has urged the US boxing community to block Bivol from competing, after other sports banned the Russian athlete as a way to pressure Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. .
And it looks like pressure may be building on Alvarez in finding another opponent. For example, the British Boxing Regulatory Commission announced a few days ago that it will not allow Russian boxers to compete in the UK.
The predicted light-heavyweight title unification match between Russian Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr could also be in jeopardy, though promoter Bob Arum says that situation is different for Alvarez-Bivol because Beterbiev is a citizen. Canada.
Bivol was born in Kyrgyzstan but moved with his family to Russia at a young age and still resides there.
I believe both of those wars will happen. Boxing often goes its own way, for better or for worse. Alvarez wants Bivol. And promoter Eddie Hearn and DAZN will make a lot of money from that match and the third meeting between Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin in September as part of a two-man struggle deal.
It is a strong impetus for Hearn and Co. ignore calls to give up Bivol.
If Bivol ends up being pulled? Alvarez has a lot to choose from. He could fight David Benavidez or Jermall Charlo (whom talks against Jaime Munguia are said to have collapsed) in May and stay with Triple-G in September.
He could then return to Bivol next year, assuming the political climate will be different by then.
