Leigh Wood emerged as the WBA Featherweight champion once more after facing Mauricio Lara who had won in their previous match. Before their match could even properly commence, Mauricio Lara had a disastrous week as he failed to make weight, resulting in the title being stripped from him. His lackluster performance further compounded his disappointment of no longer holding the world championship.
During a weight check, it became evident that Mauricio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KO’s) would be unable to cut the necessary pounds to meet the Featherweight limit set by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). As a result, he stepped into the ring almost four pounds over the limit, clearly not in peak physical condition for the bout.
In their initial encounter, Lara had triumphed after being outboxed for six rounds, delivering a crushing left hook that knocked Leigh Wood (27-3, 16 KO’s) down and prompted his corner to throw in the towel. However, their second meeting in Manchester, England, presented a different narrative.
In the second round, Leigh Wood landed a sharp right uppercut that sent Mauricio Lara to the canvas and resulted in a knockdown for Wood. Although Lara quickly regained his footing and resumed throwing punches, this moment showcased Wood’s power and altered the dynamics of their rivalry.
Similar to their first fight, Wood’s straight right proved to be a consistently effective weapon, finding openings in Lara’s guard and connecting with significant blows. Wood capitalized on this by maintaining a higher work rate and controlling the distance, preventing Lara from gaining any momentum.
If Lara’s conditioning was compromised by his weight struggles, it was further hindered by Leigh Wood’s focus on targeting his body with jabs. Whenever Lara attempted to launch an offensive, Wood utilized clinches and smothering tactics to nullify his efforts.
Mauricio Lara mostly fought defensively, adopting a strategy of seeking a single counter shot to turn the tide in his favor. However, this approach, successful in their previous encounter, resulted in one-sided unanimous decision in favor of Wood in the rematch.
The official judges’ scorecards reflected Leigh Wood’s dominance, with scores of 118-109, 118-109, and 116-111, marking the beginning of Wood’s second reign as a world champion in the featherweight division.
Expressing his elation after the fight, Wood exclaimed, “What a feeling! I’ve had a fairy tale career, and this time, I got my fairy tale ending… I wasn’t losing no matter what. Ten pounds, whatever. I wasn’t losing tonight.“
Leigh Wood’s triumphant performance secured him the WBA featherweight title, capping off a challenging week for Mauricio Lara and solidifying Wood’s position as the new champion in the division.
