Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan full fight night results
All the results from Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan tonight on Saturday, March 12 at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).
Join us here from 5:30pm for round by round reports.
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17:30 GMT LIVE ON BEFORE THE BELL
6×3 mins Light-Heavyweight contest
THOMAS WHITTAKER HART vs BEN THOMAS
Liverpool's Thomas Whittaker Hart, supported by Liam Smith in the stands, started the show with a bang, dropping and stopping Bolton's 'Big Ben' Thomas with a body shot within 43 seconds.
The tall light heavyweight moves up to 6-0 with his second stoppage win against a man who had only been stopped once in his last 10 bouts.
6×3 mins International Heavyweight contest
THOMAS CARTY vs MICHAL BOLOZ
There's already a large crowd in attendance in support of Dublin's 2-0 heavyweight, Thomas Carty, who found a home for his jab in the opening round. The crisp, accurate southpaw jabs drew blood from the Polishman's nose in the last moments of round one.
Boloz, 33, came out more aggressively in the second stanza but the 26-year-old Dubliner kept away, countered, then got back on his jab again. Pressing the action did work better for Boloz and he managed to sneak in a couple of left hands, but there was a lovely rear hand uppercut from Carty to end the round with.
Third round, the Central European came out even more aggressively and was instantly told off by the official for not listening to instruction. Carty was beginning to put more punches together. Boloz received a second talking to midway through the third. Still, he pressed forward violently and got caught with a sold left hook to the head from Carty. It was beginning to get a little scrappy and Carty got slightly complacent in the last minute, being a little impatient to land bigger shots.
Light on his feet, Carty gave himself more space in the fourth by skipping side to side around the ring. His quick jabs were taking their toll on his opponent's face, which was considerably bloodied and marked.
Carty looked fresh for round five, but his opponent was still sat on the stall in the corner as the bell rung. Carty was warned for use of his forearm after an angry exchange in the corner, then was checked over by the ringside doctor but allowed to continue. The doctor was called upon again to inspect the injuried of Boloz and this time he was retired on medical advice with 35 seconds remaining in round five.
4×3 mins International Bantamweight contest
NICO LEIVARS vs JOSE HERNANDEZ
Outstanding amateur Nico Leivars started confidently and brightly, throwing plenty of shots in that opening round against the Nicaraguan who has taken his last 12 opponents the distance. Now-retired Kash Farooq was the last man to stop Hernandez, back in 2018.
Despite an already high pace set in the opener, Nico increased it further in the second, throwing more shots with his corner urging him to "go downstairs!" There was one particular left hook that caused such a reaction from Hernandez but he still stayed upright.
More intensity from Nico in the third, his shots looking stronger and stronger. Hernandez resorted to putting his head down and throwing his shots over the top. He looked weary from the pressure and breathing heavily. A flurried finish on the bell saw two clean left hands catch Hernandez but he held on for dear life and was saved by the bell. Just 180 seconds more to get through, but it will be the longest time of his life.
Nico started the fourth and final round behind a solid jab. Then he started to try to overwhelm his man with relentless attacks. It was clear Leivars meant to finish this fight early. Hernandez was deducted a point for holding and spoiling midway through. Nico was visibly trying to wrestle his hands free from his grip, so it was very blatant cheating. As the klaxons sounded, Nico landed the shots that managed to put his man down, but time ran out and the fight was ended. It was a quick right-left combination to the head that did the job.
Due to the point deduction and the knockdown, 'Lightning' Leivars won 40-34 in his pro debut.
19:00 GMT LIVE ON DAZN
10×2 mins International Super-Lightweight contest
SANDY RYAN vs ERICA ANABELLA FARIAS
In a shock result, top prospect Sandy Ryan was bettered on the scorecards after 10 rounds – 97-93, 97-95, 95-94.
Farias is a two-weight world champion, with 32 bouts and over 12 years of experience at the highest level, which all proved to be a step up too soon for the 28-year-old prospect.
In periods, Ryan showed her quality, but Farias made it her type of fight, and is the type of fighter that is best avoided. Ryan deserves credit for taking the challenge, and even in defeat the experience might do her a favour in the long-term. She has the youth to be able to dust herself off and come again.
10×3 mins International Lightweight contest
GARY CULLY vs MIGUEL VAZQUEZ
In round two, a long left back hand caused a cut on Vazquez's left eye. Then the former world champion walked onto a short rear hand that knocked him down. The rangey Cully boxing well, the fallen Vazquez a shadow of his former self.
In the fourth, Vazquez emerged from the corner aggressively, but Cully was able to control and slow the pace down. Then the Mexican was caught on the ropes while Cully peppered him. It's clear for everyone to see that, after 55 bouts, this isn't the same fighter he once was. He walked into another attack unaware in the fourth segment and his 35-year-old legs wobbled from beneath him. Cully was in no rush to take him out although he likely could have.
A scrappy start to round five, only because Vazquez made it so, until a heavy knockdown from a flash one-two from Cully stopped the Mexican just 43 seconds into the round. It's clear to see the former IBF titlist can no longer operate at this level despite winning the WBA Fedelatin lightweight title in his last fight.
10×3 mins vacant WBA Intercontinental Lightweight Title
TERRI HARPER vs YAMILA BELEN ABELLANEDA
Harper looked slightly cagey in the opener in what is her first fight back from defeat to Alycia Baumgardner.
In round three, Harper landed a lovely body blow on Abellaneda that looked like it hurt.
By round four, Harper had outlanded the Argentinian by double – 41 to 20 punches. Her right hand has found a home here. She sneaked in a short right uppercut with 30 seconds to go. 'Belter' was looking increasingly confident with each passing round.
Herper was putting shots together in the fifth and sixth, hopeful for a stoppage, but slowed the pace down during the seventh where she utilised the range perfectly with some really well-timed shots, looking a little economical than earlier. Abellaneda was still active and busy and landing her own shots, but not as many as Harper and not as heavy or effective.
In the penultimate round, Harper was boxing beautifully on the back foot evading attacks whilst sneaking in her own shots. With only three KOs in 18 bouts, Abellaneda didn't have any power to trouble Harper with.
The former super featherweight world champion skipped away with a spring in her step right up to the final bell where she was happy to see out the fight and get 10 rounds in at her new home in the lightweight division.
All three counts were 99-91 to the Denaby Main star, who looked emotional as she collected her first belt at lightweight, the WBA Inter-Continental title. The 25-year-old Brit has also made history as the first ever champion of the belt, which has been introduced since the depth of female talent has grown exponentially.
Eddie Hearn said that Denaby and Yorkshire should be very proud of Terri and trainer Stefy Bull for the way they have bounced back from such a devastating defeat.
10×3 mins WBA International Middleweight Title
CAOIMHIN AGYARKO vs JUAN CARLOS RUBIO
Belfast's 'Black Thunder' started the contest as a dominant champion, using his left hand as a rangefinder and throwing out powerful right hands when the opportunity presented.
In round two, he countered Rubio with a left hook that was almost too quick to even see. The speed and power of this 25-year-old is freakish. He tried to land a few more powerful rights but missed, possibly a little overeager.
In round three, Agyarko was tripling up on his jabs and combinations, but Rubio landed a thudding backhand of his own. When he switched to southpaw, Agyarko landed a big left hand.
Trained by Alan Smith and Eddie Lamm from their iBox Gym in Bromley, Kent, the Irishman aims to be his country's first ever black world champion.
Agyarko increased his work rate, throwing and landing more than any other round so far, and pressing forward, no longer content to just counter. He ended the round strongly with three right back hands in a row, the second of which really snapped the Mexican's head back.
Agyarko was now scoring shots and evading the ones coming back comfotably. He found the target with more of those rear hands from his orthodox stance.
Agyarko was in full control and some big shots landed in the seventh stanza, but Rubio wasn't going anywhere. The Belfast boxer's right hand was landing so accurately and had badly swollen the left eye of the 23-year-old southpaw from Jalisco.
The last six fights have all ended in stoppages for Agyarko, but Rubio made it to the final bell despite being knocked out in three rounds by American super welterweight champion Charles Conwell in his last fight.
The power and speed of Agyarko was frightening yet he couldn't put the tough South American away, testament to the youngster's durability and toughness. However, he visibly winced at the feeling of some of those straight right hands that landed so fluch so often.
100-90 twice and 98-92 for the winner, Caoimhin Agyarko.
Post-fight Tony Bellew advised Agyarko to gain more composure and learn to finish fights off.
12×3 mins WBA Featherweight World Title
LEIGH WOOD vs MICHAEL CONLAN
Irish Michael Conlan entered the ring first singing along to his ring entrance music which switched from an Irish anthem to Jimi Hendrix as he entered the ring.
Wood's ring entrance music wasn't quite as rousing, but he leapt over the top rope in a display of athleticism.
The champion is the first to land as he goes straight out onto the front foot, expectedly. A jab to the body lands from Conlan's southpaw stance but Wood responds with a strong backhand to the body too. Wood lands a terrific right hand on Conlan, keen to earn his counterpart's respect. Wood looks physically bigger and stronger. A long, wide left hand hits the target from Conlan, then Wood is knocked down moments later right on the bell. The Irishman dipped down low and threw an overhand looping left right on the chin of the champion.
Wood's head is not clear as he comes out for round two. He looks set to go at any moment. Conlan's feints and tricks are outsmarting Wood and he is walking onto big shots, especially Conaln's long left rear hand. He fries back valiantly in the final moments, but he is in real trouble here. Mick appears to be cut over his left eye from a head clash.
Wood comes out on the front foot in round three but gets his head snapped back from a sharp jab. A right-left hook combo to the head made Wood slip but he wasn't hurt. He landed another big left but Wood finished the round strongly again with Conan on the ropes.
The crowd roar when Wood throws in bunches when he closes the gap and traps Conlan on the ropes, but the challenger chooses to stay there. Conlan was still looking to land that efftive back hand from his southpaw stance but Wood seemed a bit more wise to it than before. Conlan finishes with a good right hand, but it was a better showing from wood, that round looking more like a 50-50 fight for the first time.
Wood is throwing punches anywhere he can, landing half a dozen on Conlan's arms. Midway through the fight really catches fire as the pair exchange equally. Wood is landing some telling shots finally in this fight and slowing clawing his way back into the contest. Another clash of heads causes a cut to Wood's left eye this time.
Big right hook beautifully timed by Conlan as Wood came in with a right body shot. Mick's head movement is sublime. Better from Leigh Wood as sinks in shots to the body when Mick is on the ropes. Conlan works the body well and comes up top for a right hook to the head just moments towards the end of the sixth.
Carl Froch said Wood was coming up second best in every exchange. Halfway point and Conlan has outlanded the champion by 47 punches to 16.
In round seven, Conlan landed yet another one of his awkward looping left back hands, which Wood took well, but how many more can he take? The pair stand and trade for the final moments of the seventh and it is a joy to watch. Bellew has Conlan 68-64 up, giving two rounds to Wood.
Wood lets his hands go and a crunching left gets through. Referee Steve Gray calls the fighters in telling them to clean it up. Then a huge left hand lands from Conlan and he looks to follow it up. As the klaxons sound, Conlan lands another three eyecatching blows.
Conlan begins round nine with a right hand to the head then follows up with two lefts, all landing clean. But then he tries with the loping left again and misses wildly. Wood is starting to appear frustrated at not being able to catch up to his opponent. A nice lead right hook lands in the final moments in what was a clear round to Conlan. The challenger surely must be many rounds clear here.
That troublesome left hand keeps landing from Conlan, also working the body really well. Wood fires back in flurries but Conlan stays in the pockets and dips his head sided to side to avoid most. Wood lands a big right while Conlan is on the ropes, then he traps him there and Conlan doesn't fire back very much. Wood looked very dominant in the first of the championship rounds. It was a round of two halves as Conlan started brighter but Wood finished so strongly.
Wood got through with a crunching right hook to Conaln's chin in the 11th. Then Conlan looks like he hurt Wood back with head shots in the closing minute but Wood valiantly fires back then Conlan slips over during the frenzied exchange and it's counted as a knockdown. His corner are furious. Carl Froch at ringside is adamant it was a punch that caused the knockdown but Conlan is backing off and throws a right hook when his back foot slips from under him. On replay, it certainly looks more lick a slip than a knockdown.
In the 12th round, Wood needs a knockout to win, or maybe just a knockdown to draw level, who knows? The champion goes for broke and throws everything he has at Conlan and it works! The finish is simply breathtaking. Wood throws everything at Conlan who slumps into the ropes and falls through them out of the ring completely. Fatigued and hurt, Conlan backs onto the ropes, Wood unloads everything he has and a straight right lands on the right side of the temple as Conlan dipped his head to the left to slip the attacks. It KOs him cold and his body falls backwards out of the ring.
The crowd goes wild and so does Wood but he instantly stops, concerned for his opponent, and waves his arms to signal to the crowd to wait to see if Conlan is ok before celebrating. Conlan looked moments away from being crowned champion in a contest where Wood was well far behind but worked his way back into contention, scoring a knockdown to help him close the gap on the cards, then produced the most breathtaking finish ever. This night will be remembered for a long time in Nottingham.
The official time of the stoppage was 1:25 of the final round. 'Leigh-thal' Wood won the WBA belt with just seconds to go in the final round against Xu Can and now he has defended it in the exact same way, with less than 100 seconds remaining.
Tony Bellew raised the point that Wood showed the true mark of a champion in a fight where he was knocked down and gone on his feet, yet came through somehow, continued to get tagged cleanly but kept coming, kept believing in himself, until he finished the fight off spectacularly.
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