Michael Conlan is ready to take his biggest step towards a major world title.
The two-time Olympic athlete from Northern Ireland is expected to face England second-placed Leigh Wood in a 12-round featherweight match on Saturday night at the Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, Wood’s hometown.DAZN).
A win would put him just below champion Leo Santa Cruz in the WBA rankings.
“I know what kind of performance is going to come on Saturday night,” Conlan said Thursday during his final pre-match press conference. “This is the most comfort and calm I have had in a week of fighting. I don’t feel any pressure, I’m here in the back garden and I have to rip his belt. Everyone is here to see him. I already have thousands of fans, so it’s nothing new.
“I came here for a job, I hope Leigh had a great training camp, I hope he is the best Leigh Wood ever because I believe he will. It will make things sweeter when I beat him. “
Conlan (16-0.8 KOs) is best known worldwide for overturning officials after he lost a controversial decision in the second round of competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. .
The Belfast boxer turned pro next March and knows nothing but success, although he was lucky enough to win the majority decision against Ionut Baluta last April. He recovered to beat TJ Doheny by a broad decision in his most recent game, last August.
Conlan and his team are confident he will raise his hand on Saturday, in part because of pressure about Wood having to fight in front of crowds at home.
Wood (25-2, 15 KOs) won the extra belt by stopping Can Xu in game 12order a round that was barely attended by anyone at Matchroom Boxing headquarters amid the COVID-19 pandemic last July.
“I think that’s what Leigh is going to have to deal with, the mental stress he’s going to have to go through,” said former boxer Jamie Conlan, Michael’s brother and manager. “I saw it last night when he was training. There will be more mental pressure on him than on Michael.
“Michael has faced mental pressure throughout his career. He was noticed from day one. Leigh did it when no one was watching. He won the world title in front of 25 people in your back garden (promoter Eddie Hearn). “This is a big moment, this is going to be a place where people are pressuring him, expecting him to win, in his homeland he is the favorite. In our hometown we are the most popular team, so the fans who come here fully expect Michael to win, fully expect to have fun on Saturday.
“…As a family, we are just getting ready, we have been waiting for this for a long time. Fate is in front of us, and Leigh is just another object in the way.”
Meanwhile, Wood seemed as confident as Conlan and Co.
He has had a career of ups and downs and is rising at the present time. He was stopped by Gavin McDonnell in 2014, shot with 12 wins later, lost to Jazza Dickens by majority decision in February 2020 and then defeated Reece Mold and Can Xu.
That leads to his meeting with Conlan, which is his climactic fight.
“I really like it here,” he said. “It has been a long and difficult journey to get here. Back in 2014, it was a night of terror. I knew the reason behind it, and I went and fixed it. Same goes for both failures that I have suffered. I went, changed my team and improved as a fighter.
“I live disciplined, live life, and that’s why I bring this big night back to Nottingham, I couldn’t be happier.”
We’ll see who smiles after the battle.
