A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Starring:Leigh WoodAlexis RochaLuis Alberto Lopez
Wood, Rocha and Lopez put on impressive performances Saturday in separate locations. Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) stands out. First, he made a bold move facing Maurcio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KOs) in an immediate rematch after Lara knocked him out in February. And, second, he agreed to continue the fight even though Lara was over three pounds overweight. The British star’s confidence has paid off. He gave up and outstripped his Mexican opponent to win a broad decision, reclaiming the 126-pound title he lost in his first game and re-establishing himself as one of the best in his division in Manchester, England. Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) cemented his place as a 147-pound legit contender by methodically beating and prevent potentially Anthony Young (24-3, 8 KOs) in five rounds in Indio, California. He wants the winner to be Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. in his next match. Can Rocha compete with such superstars? Well, he won the right to try. And 126-pound belt holder Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) looks like a beast against Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs), stop the Irish Olympic Athlete twice with a single blow in the fifth round in Belfast, Conlan’s hometown. Lopez, a clumsy but effective strike fighter, is a threat to anyone at featherweight.
TRIAL DOLL
Competition between Terence Crawford And Errol Spence Jr. was finally set for July 29 in Las Vegas. I wish people in their 30s had fought a few years ago but I don’t want to focus on the negative. They are still two of the best in the business. We should celebrate. … Some might argue that Lara got what she deserved after losing so much weight. No reason is good enough. If you can’t gain weight in one department, move up. He is a dangerous warrior because of his strength. He should do well at 130. … Lopez named his 126-pound champions (Wood, Rey Vargas And Robeisy Ramirez) after his victory. I think he could be a problem for anyone because of his style. … Conlan was stopped in two of his last four fights. He might end up as an elite warrior. …
Wood said after his win that he wanted to face his former employer Josh Warrington or one of the featherweight champions mentioned above. I would normally push for a title unification but Wood vs. Warrington will be a big UK event Remember, Warrington was stopped by Lara in 2021 and lost the title to Lopez by majority decision in December. I could see Wood in that skirmish and then switch to a unified inning. … Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KOs) fell to the seventh undefeated team in England, losing majority decision-making and the 200-pound title to his countryman Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KO) in a frantic fight. Okolie went down three times and lost two points on hold, leaving him with no chance to win teamfights. Judgment Benjamin Rodríguez somehow managed to score 112-112 even though Okolie lost five points. Some called Rodriguez’s scorecard “the worst of all time”. Other scores are more relevant, 116-107 and 115-108.
