Leigh Wood will continue his career at super featherweight and has relinquished his WBA featherweight title to move up in weight, the WBA recently confirmed. The British former world champion last fought roughly two weeks ago on October 7th when he triumphed over British rival Josh Warrington through a technical knockout (TKO) victory.

Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KO’s), aged 35, is embarking on a new and challenging journey following his decision to vacate his WBA title. His time at featherweight saw him become a two-time world champion, with his double-match saga against Mauricio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KO’s) being one of the highlights of a career that has spanned over a decade.

Wood’s last match against Josh Warrington (30-3-1, 8 KO’s) was significant not only due to his victory but also because he was in a losing position for much of the fight, with Warrington seemingly ahead in terms of rounds won.

As previously speculated in an earlier article, Wood’s weight cut might have played a role in the Warrington match, and although his move up to super featherweight doesn’t confirm any issues, it does suggest that he may benefit from fighting at a higher weight class.

Warrington, as a former WBA champion, is likely to have an opportunity to face WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia (16-1, 10 KO’s), whose last fight involved being stopped by WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KO’s) in a brief move up to the 135 lbs weight class in January of this year.

Hector Garcia is currently medically suspended indefinitely by the District of Columbia Combat Sports Commission, likely due to his loss against Davis and his reported medical concerns with his eye in an interview with Fight Hub TV.

Wood’s team has also sent a formal message to the WBA to confirm Wood’s decision to vacate his title.

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to the WBA for their support and for allowing Leigh to win, defend, and ultimately regain his world honors,” the formal message from Wood’s team to the WBA reads.

“The WBA has played a crucial role in shaping Leigh’s career, and we are truly grateful for the experiences he has gained during his time as Featherweight Champion.“

According to the WBA’s own rules, they will now begin the process of deciding the next WBA champion of the 126 lbs division, with Uzbeki contender Otabek Kholmatov (11-0, 10 KO’s) and American fighter Raymond Ford (14-0-1, 7 KO’s) occupying the top positions on the WBA’s list of rankings at #1 and #2, respectively.