There was plenty of action over the weekend, with boxing fans getting more than they bargained for. With that being said, here were the most telling developments this weekend.
Leigh Wood Vs. Mauricio Lara
Leigh Wood endured a devastating loss to Mexican knockout artist Mauricio Lara, thus relinquishing his WBA featherweight title.
The defeat came in the seventh round at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, where Wood fell victim to Lara’s powerful left hook during an exchange.
Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara fight results, highlights: Mexican challenger earns featherweight title with TKO – https://t.co/PIR53wq5f4 pic.twitter.com/JqGpaiy6t5
— WorldWide Tweets (@WorldWideTweet3) February 19, 2023
He bravely stood back up to keep fighting, but his coach Ben Davison quickly ended the fight by throwing in the towel. Wood had suffered from a gash near his left eye after an accidental clash of heads in the initial round.
However, he remained unfazed by the blood streaming down his face, and as the fight entered the second half, Wood appeared to have the upper hand.
By the time the seventh round had come around, Wood was ahead on the scorecards: 59-55, 58-56, and 58-56. That is why the defeat will have hurt even more.
But given that there is a rematch clause, there could be another raging battle.
“To become world champion is a dream I’ve had since I was 8 years of age. Leigh Wood is a great champion. He hits really hard. He’s an intelligent boxer. I’m just absolutely delighted,” Lara
“I’m a fighter, you know? I want to go until I can’t see anything anymore. Congratulations to Mauricio Lara. Great fighter. Made a mistake and I paid for it,” Wood
Luis Nery Vs. Azat Hovhannisyan
Luis Nery, a previous two-weight title holder, stopped Azat Hovhannisyan in the 11th round at the Fox Theater Pomona in Pomona, California, making it a strong contender for Fight of the Year.
Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) did what he could to keep the fight under his control and steer clear of damage by relying on his superior boxing skills.
And yet, Hovhannisyan (21-4, 17 KOs) was able to make it into a brawl due to his sheer determination before Nery emerged triumphant in the WBC junior featherweight title eliminator.
And in the process of doing so, Nery made himself a mandatory challenger for the unified titles held by Stephen Fulton in the 122 lb division.
“I feel good. We knew it would be a hard fight. We had a hard preparation for this one but we expected to get the victory. We expected a knockout. We knew it was gonna be a knockout. Azat is a tough fighter but we got the knockout. It was good for the fans,” Nery
“We’re obviously disappointed the fight didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but it’s boxing. I thought he was a good fighter before and today I think he is a great fighter. He won today. That’s it,” Hovhannisyan
Regis Prograis and Jack Catterall
Regis Prograis, the current holder of the WBC light welterweight championship belt, is reportedly in the process of arranging a bout against Jack Catterall.
Following the decisions of Jose Ramirez and Teofimo Lopez to go their own way, Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) has been searching for an opponent. And now there is a prospect that Prograis could square off against Catterall.
Regis Prograis and Jack Catterall are now in talks for a Spring/Summer showdown for Prograis’s WBC World Title 🥊
🤔 Who wins?
(Source: @MikeCoppinger) #PrograisCatterall #BoxingFans #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/B2Mw8i3QXN
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) February 17, 2023
Catterall’s stock has risen since his fight with Josh Taylor. Despite the latter being crowned the winner, the vast majority of the boxing community felt Catterall had been deprived unjustly of the chance to become undisputed.
Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) had been anticipating a rematch with the WBO’s light welterweight champion, Taylor, yet the WBO’s rankings put Teofimo Lopez ahead of him, much to Catterall’s dismay.