Will Michael Conlan come of age and win the ‘regular’ WBA featherweight belt from Leigh Wood on Saturday night, or will the Nottingham man once again confound the doubters? Luke G. Williams previews the action…
Now 30, Irish icon Michael Conlan has long believed it was his destiny to become world champion.
“This means a lot to me,” he said when his Nottingham Arena match against reigning WBA champion Leigh Wood was first announced. “It is my destiny. I have been preparing for this moment for a very long time. And [I’ve always] said when the time came I would take it with both hands. “
Holder Wood (25-2, 15 KOs) is one of those players whose current world championship title is unlikely. Stopped in sixth place by Gavin McDonnell in 2014, when he lost his career for the second time due to his decision to quit Jazza Dickens in 2020, it seems his career was destined to be at the level domestic or – at best – at the European level.
In the next game, against Reece Mold, Wood struggled early on but rallied to win a stunning ninth-round KO and claim the British title. However, despite that win, few gave him a shot against Can Xu in a WBA title-leaning showdown last July. However, Wood’s mixture of pressure and power left the Chinese champion unsettled as he dominated, thoughtless, and then stopped him in the 12th and final round.
Reflecting on the unlikely change in his career, and the prospect now of a big show in his hometown of Nottingham, Wood said: “I’m buzzing… It’s been a journey. long and difficult to get here. Back to 2014 [when he lost to McDonnell] it was a terrible night.
“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 stay disciplined, live life and that’s why I bring this big night back to Nottingham, I couldn’t be happier”.
Wood also expressed joy at the prospect of defending his world title at the very site where his hometown hero Carl Froch has fought 15 times. (Wood had fought there twice before himself, but never in a battle of this magnitude.)
“Honestly, this is a fairy tale,” Wood said. “In all the arenas for Carl, I was in the chair screaming, now I’m at the top in the same arena. This is not the peak or the place for me to stop.”
A key question ahead of this match is whether 33-year-old Wood will be able to repeat the intensity he showed against Xu, or whether that match will be the highest peak of his career. will not be able to reach again or not.
The Ben Davison-trained rugby player is sure to be helped by the aforementioned home-field advantage, with 10,000 semi-final tickets expected to be available. A sizable percentage of those are likely to be Conlan supporters, but they are likely significantly outnumbered Wood fans, and it will be interesting to see the Irishman – used to his fights at Madison Square Garden and Falls Park. loved to be admired – will adjust to being on hostile territory.
Conlan certainly didn’t seem to be settling down during battle preparations. “I gave it my best shot,” he told Boxing Social this week. “In a sense, it was easy because I didn’t have to wake up for anything. Motivation is natural there. Every class feels tired, the feeling of being tired has never felt like that. I’ve felt it in previous camps, but this one was perfect, going great.
“My preparation was incredible, and the confidence that came from my preparation. I said that from the very beginning. I prepared very well before the press conference. After them, it rose to an even higher level. I’m looking forward to performing on Saturday that I know I will. ”
“Saturday night we took over. Saturday night we put on a show and on Saturday night you hear ‘And something new’. “
With both motivated and confident men, this could prove to be a thrilling contest. Wood is probably the more difficult puncher, although Conlan’s prowess may be underestimated. The Irishman (16-0.8 KOs) produced the best professional performance of his career last time out against TJ Doheny and if he can keep his composure I feel technical. His superiority should see him home, most likely there will be points.
