By: Sean Crose
“Mauricio Lara lost the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight belt after not being able to make weight today. However, Leigh Wood will be able to opt for the title.” So said the WBA on Friday after Lara proved to be close to four full pounds overweight before his fight with Leigh Wood this Saturday at Manchester, England’s AO Arena. The development certainly takes some of the air out of the highly anticipated rematch, but that’s on Lara. Don’t expect Lara’s weight – or anything else for that matter – to keep Wood from going for broke when he faces the man who took the WBA featherweight title away from him last winter.
“I’m ready to get this belt back and look good doing it,” Wood told the media. “No doubts at all, that’s not me saying it’s going to be an easy fight, because it could be far from an easy fight, but I’m prepared for anything that he brings. The first time round was hard because we didn’t have his style against my style to look at, now we’ve got that information and we know what he does when I do certain things.” The truth is Wood looked impressive the first time he faced Lara…that is until Lara put an exclamation point on things courtesy of a stellar left hook.
“Whatever is takes on Saturday night I’m coming away with a win,” Wood said. “This is what gets me up for it, I can’t lose. I can’t afford to lose. That could be the end of the road for me. It’s a long road to come back from. That’s why I’m not thinking about losing, I’ve done everything I can do to win. I’m confident in winning. I know what I need to do to win. I know what I can’t afford to do.”
Still, it’s unusual to have a rematch of this nature less than three months after the first fight went down. “It is a fast turnaround,” admits Wood, “but it is one that benefits me. If you said to me when I won the World Title, ‘right, in 13 weeks’ time you’re back out, you need to get back in the gym’, I’d have been like, ‘woah Eddie come on, let me celebrate’. That’s why I believe it is one that favors me. I was straight back in training.”
As things stand, Leigh is now just a few hours away from regaining the WBA belt. All he has to do is beat Lara first. That, however, will be easier said than done.
