Leigh Wood vs Micheal Conlan was a 'Fight of the Year' contender
In what was considered a very even match-up between WBA super featherweight champion Leigh Wood and challenger Michael Conlan, the fight was eagerly anticpated by fight fans, especially Mick's Irish following and 'Leigh-thal's' Nottingham faithful, and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere in the Nottingham Arena was electric, the drama during the fight sensational from the very first round to the last, and the ending was simply breathtaking, frightening and distressing all at the same time.
Conlan impressively knocked the champion down in the first round and looked close to scoring a stoppage in the first quarter of the contest, but Wood found his feet again and slowly clawed his way back to scoring an incredible 12th round knockout which saw the Irish challenger slump into the ropes before falling head first out of the ring. Fortunately, he was ok, tweeting this message to concerned fans a few hours after receiving medical treatment: "Im all good folks, cheers for the messages. Ill be back, good shot and congrats to Leigh and his team."
A little later, he added: "Watched the fight, I definitely need to run it back! Up on the cards and 11th was a slip, fatigue was kicking in and I was caught on the temple with a good shot I didn’t see. Respect to Leigh Wood, congrats again, your a tough f**er but let’s run it back."
The Reactions
Barry Jones, Former World Champion: "I didn’t want to comment on the fight last night until I knew Conlan was ok. But now he is. What a great fight, Conlan was boxing so well and on my Card, on his way to Victory, but you just can’t factor in the sheer toughness and will to win that Wood possess."
Tim Rickson, BBN Editor: "That was one of the craziest finishes to a fight I have ever seen. I'm so pleased to hear that Conlan is ok. The fight was spectacular from the first to the last! Such drama, and it's an early fight of the year contender, for sure. I was willing Conlan to win, even though I really like Wood, but Mick's style is more pleasing to me. I think the 11th round knockdown was definitely a slip, but no arguments in it being ruled a knockdown, I can't see how anyone would see otherwise until watching the replay. Run it back at the City Ground? Yes, please!!"
Sunny Edwards, IBF Flyweight Champion: "Conlan had the fight won and spent the last couple of rounds swinging it out. Think exhaustion blinded him and the last shot finished him on his feet. Great fight for both and Wood really did pull it out the bag when he needed to. Hope Conlan is okay and well done to Leigh Wood."
Dan Rafael, Boxing Journalist: "I've watched probably tens of thousands of fights and have never seen anything quite like that ending of #WoodConlan. Just incredible."
Ryan Garcia, WBC Interim World Lightweight Champion: "That was one of the greatest fights I ever seen, if you didn’t see it don’t watch anything it was amazing, hope Conlan is okay."
Gavin Casey, Sports Journalist: "Hope Michael Conlan is okay. Those two lads showed something other-worldly in the ring — the kind of fight that makes you realise why boxers are special while simultaneously questioning your interest in the sport. Wood’s presence of mind in the aftermath was so commendable."
Mike Coppinger, ESPN Journalist: "Leigh Wood very respectful here asking for the crowd to cease cheering until he’s sure Michael Conlan is OK after that brutal ring ejection. That’s your Fight of the Year so far in 2022."
Eric Donovan, Irish Featherweight Champion: "If you think Mick passed out without getting hit, that's nonsense. The straight backhand punch landed on the head (as Mick was on ropes) in the 35th minute of a 36-minute 'heavy taxing fight'. Now that punch in the same scenario would have a huge impact on anyone."
The Scorecards
Bob Williams:
Wood 103 / Conlan 104
Leszhek Jankowiak:
Wood 102 / Conlan 105
Guilermo Pineda:
Wood 103 / Conlan 104
The Fight
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.
The finish is simply breathtaking. Wood throws everything he has at Conlan who slumps into the ropes and falls through them out of the ring completely.
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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