Mauricio Lara vs Leigh Wood 2 results
Tonight, live on DAZN from 5:15pm, ‘Leigh-thal’ Leigh Wood (26-3, 16KO) attempts to regain his world title from his recent conqueror Mauricio ‘Bronco’ Lara (27-2-1, 19KO) on May 27 at the AO Arena, Manchester.
If you can't catch the action live, then BBN have got you covered with round by round results reported from ringside.
Check back from 5:15pm for all the results:
From 5:15pm
Aaron Bowen vs Aljaz Venko
6×3 Middleweight contest
Coventry's Bowen using his jab well in the opener, making use of his visibly obvious height and reach advantages. Throwing combinations midway through the round and landed a big straight right down the pipe. Venko on his bike, more mobile after that big shot.
Winning fighter from Slovenia was brighter in the second, coming forward and throwing combinations, but the 6'3" Bowen used his jab to keep the distance between them.
In the third, Bowen landed well with a right to the body but Venko countered with a nice right to the head. The European is losing the rounds but has grown into the contest.
Bowen reeling off one-twos in the fourth, but Venko still coming on. Another big right hook to the body sank in and Venko reacted by countering back.
60-55 points win to Bowen, who moves up to 3-0.
Campbell Hatton vs Michal Bulik
8×3 Super-lightweight contest
Hatton closing the gap, upping the pace in round two, forcing Bulik to work. Hatton opens him up and lands several big right hands. Good pressure on the front foot and Bulik is forced to get on his toes. Three punch combo goes in from Hatton. Bulik turned the tables and had a good last minute of the round.
Bulik is a bit crafty, in the second half of the rounds he often lands a few sneaky shots, like a nice backhand landed flush, but not very heavily. He also landed a nice right uppercut when Hatton came in a bit too square.
Bulik looking cofident in the fourth and trying to frustrate Hatton, who is missing widely. Another good backhand slams in from Bulik, who could be evening the scorecards up here. Hatton still missing, Bulik's movement troubling him, but then he slams in a big right to the body and Bulik's mouthguard spits out. Hatton turns up the pressure and loads up on his punches. Quite an even round, but Hatton scored the biggest blow which visibly made Bulik grimace.
In the fifth, Hatton landed a left hook right around the back of the right ear which caused Bulik's legs to turn to jelly. He stayed upright by staggering around across the entire width of the ring but referee John Latham stopped it as he was propped up by the ropes. Bulik protested the decision but he wasn't able to stand upright so it was the correct call.
Hatton moves up to 12-0, but doesn't seem ready for a step up just yet.
William Crolla vs Joe Hardy
4×3 Super-welterweight contest
The younger brother of Anto Crolla, William, started fast and furious and stuck close to Hardy who was able to land a nice left hook as Crolla came in, then a body shot looked heavy but Hardy shook his head to signify it meant nothing. They shared some big, clean shots each in this opener, which started very fast.
Hardy was able to land more left hooks as Crolla attacked in his southpaw stance. William ended the first round smiling just after he landed a lead left hook.
Crolla busy and aggressive in the second. He so badly wants to impress and looks naturally aggressive. He's throwing shots in threes and fours. Lands a nice left jab through the guard then switches to southpaw. First two rounds to young Crolla so far.
Hardy having some success in the third as the pase slows but still eats a jab or two. Hardy is on the ropes and urges Crolla on who takes his time. A stiff jam from Crolla knocks out Hardy's gumshield. Hardy looks a bit weary but then the pair tangle up and Crolla slips backwards to the seat of his pants, he jumps but receives a count. He protests to referee Steve Grey but the count stands! The replay shows that Crolla caught a shot on his guard and his leg slipped from underneath him so it's a tricky one to call.
Crolla gets a good left hand in down the middle in the fourth and final round. Then a nice left backhand from southpaw. Then another! The straight lefts successful. Crolla puts his shots together again in threes and fours. Hardy no longer looking to engage, perhaps feeling the pace, and his nose is bloodied, he's gulping for air, good stuff from the Mancunian. Hardy ends the contest skipping away to hear the final bell.
Crolla edged it 39-37 despite the knockdown. Great learning fight for him.
Aqib Fiaz vs Costin Ion
8×3 Super-featherweight contest
Fiaz just edged the bout at 76-75 after going down in the sixth round from a left hook to the head.
From 7pm
Danny Ball vs Jamie Robinson
10×3 English welterweight title
Nice and active from the off. Ball landing his jab well through the guard.
Big left uppercut on the chin downs Robinson at the opening of the the second. Ball moves in for the kill. Non-stop left and right hooks land but referee McCann doesn't jump in, even though he's trapped on the ropes, because he's still throwing back. What heart! Robinson even gets back on his jab and starts opening up. The replay shows that Ball slipped a wide jab on the inside to land the clean uppercut so cleanly.
Robinson starts the third on the front foot, but he gets caught by neat left hooks.
Dudley's Ball wins the vacant English title after Derbyshire's Robinson quits after eight rounds.
Terri Harper vs Ivana Habazin
10×2 WBA World super-welterweight title
Harper won 97-93 x2 and 98-92.
Chief Support
Jack Catterall vs Darragh Foley
10×3 Super-lightweight contest
Foley down once in the seventh and once in the ninth; Catterall deducted one point in the seventh for hitting Foley whilst he was down. "El Gato" wins on points 99-88.
Main Event 10pm
Mauricio Lara vs Leigh Wood
12×3 WBA world featherweight title
Improved and calculated Wood controlling the fight from range with his jab, Lara a bit quiet in the opener.
Nottingham's Wood cleverly keeping it long and Lara goes down in the second but no knockdown. Lara comes forward in a flurry but Wood catches it all on his gloves. But then a right uppercut lands clean and puts the Mexican down. Wood is so disciplined here. Lara was leaning to his left and got downed cleanly by the challenger.
Wood is looking so in control here. Lara leaps in with a left hook, but Wood looks so confident and it doesn't trouble him. Trainer Ben Davison tells his man to stay disciplined and work to the body and says Lara hasn't got 10 rounds in him, although Lara has outlanded him 15 punches to 14 so far at the end of the third.
Wood closing in on his man in the fourth, who comes in strong in the closing seconds. Tony Bellew has Wood up on the scorecards in this early stage.
Mexican Lara looks a bit subdued as the champion; as a contender he was much more lively and dangerous. Is it a weight issue or is it down to Wood being so disciplined and negating him? He's playing the perfect plan so far.
Round nine and Wood is still so disciplined and the champion Lara is so very quiet. He's not the same man from their first fight.
Wood kept it long, stayed sensible, Lara wasn't busy enough, but that was down to Wood's superiority.
Wood played it perfect, didn't take any risks all fight long, but Lara wasn't the hungry challenger he once was, but full credit to Wood for upsetting his rhythm all night long.
Lara has come to UK four times as the challenger and has caused all kinds of trouble, but as the champion he is so subdued.
It's a strange performance from the Mexican, he's literally done nothing to retain his title. For a guy who is so dangerous and risky, he's not shown any of that tonight. There were weight issues, but only that he was going to come in heavier, but he hasn't used that at all. It's a combination of Lara being terrible and Wood being brilliant. Lara is clearly not himself, but Wood has been technically brilliant and disciplined and thoroughly deserved the win! Wood was focused, diligent, never strayed off his game plan, clinical in his performance and won his world title back with pure hard work and intelligence.
Scorecards were 109-118, 111-116, 109-118 to Wood, who regains his WBA title.
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