By Barry Holbrook: Mauricio Lara predicts he’ll make short work of WBA featherweight newly crowned WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood next week when the two meet on February 18th at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England.
Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) says he will not run from Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) around the ring on the night. He’s going to meet him in the center ring and will go to war, looking to beat him at his own game.
Leigh feels that it’s going to be hard for the 24-year-old Lara because he’s going to be met with a loud crowd of his supporters in Nottingham, who will make themselves heard.
Lara has won his last two fights since his disappointing two round technical draw in his rematch with Josh Warrington in September 2021.
That fight should be a lesson for Lara that he must start fast because you never know when a clash of heads will cause a fight to be stopped prematurely in the early rounds.
If Lara starts slowly against Wood, he could run into trouble even if he doesn’t suffer a cut. Wood is a big puncher, and he’s not someone that Lara can take his time getting warmed up if he wants to win.
Wood won’t be running from Lara
“Nobody is kicking Mauricio Lara’s butt,” said trainer Ben Davison to Matchroom Boxing. “We actually sat in the room. Leigh won the British title that night,” Ben said about the night Lara defeated Joshua Warrington in February 2021 in London. Within one round, I said to Leigh, ‘Josh Warrington is going to get beaten.’
“As I said, ‘Styles make fights.’ Bad style match-up for Warrington. He’s always been confident, but now, there’s more of an understanding of how and why he comes from,” said Davison about Woods.
“How to identify the strengths & weaknesses of the opponent, and the strengths and weaknesses of himself. His preparation is second to none, and that’s where that confidence comes from. He’s reckless, he’s brave, he’s dangerous, but those attributes that make him dangerous also make him vulnerable,” Davison said about Lara.
“We won’t be flying around the ring, running away from him that’s for sure.”
Lara vows to KO Leigh if he switches off
“Of course, it surprised me a lot. We know nobody wants to face me at 126 pounds for a world title,” said Mauricio Lara. “Believe me, if he switches off, the fight will be over quickly. I’m happy. The UK is my second home.
“My trainers, Alejandro, Isaac, Arcos, it’s their jobs to look for errors, and we work on those bit by bit in the gym.
” It was a tough fight,” Lara said about Wood’s last contest against Michael Conlan. We know he’s damaged coming into this fight, but he’s coming to defend his title, and that’s what I want.
“We know it’s a tough fight. We know it’s the acid test. We know Leigh Wood is a great champion, but I have great aspirations and a desire to become a world champion. As I’ve said, whatever it takes, I have to do it this time. I like challenges, to take big fights, and this is one of them.
“I’m grateful for him [Wood] for taking this fight, but this one will happen, and we know what we’re capable of doing. The people who surround me, the people who leave work to be with me in the gym.
“People who leave their personal life behind to be with me. It’s what motivates me every day. It spurs me on and motivates me, as I’ve said before, and I have a huge source of motivation, which is my daughter. I fight every day for her, and I’ll give my best for her.
“I’ve said this from the start, since the first opportunity against Josh Warrington. I want to change my family’s future, and I’ve done that and will continue to do it. A lot. Both financially and mentally,” said Lara when asked how much his life has changed since his victory over Josh Warrington in 2021 in Leed, England.
“The whole of Mexico applauded me, and that fills me with pride, knowing that I’m representing Mexico across the world, and I’ll do that again this time. It brought people close to me.
“Yes, we know how unfortunate it was in terms of what happened,” said Lara when asked if he was disappointed about the outcome of his rematch with Warrington in September 2021, when he suffered a fight-ending cut after two rounds due to repeated head-butts from Josh.
“We know what he did, and as I said, this issue with him is personal. Well, what can someone who got knocked out in nine rounds say?” said Lara when told that Warrington predicts that Wood will beat him easily on February 18th.
“Who got his jaw fractured and shoulder and elbow damaged? Chickens always criticize people, but he knows Bronco Lara is coming for him, and he knows I will destroy him.
“We know he’s a great fighter, but it’s going to be a really tough fight for him. We know how we’re preparing, and we’ve caused an upset before in this country, and it will be the same [on February 18th]. It won’t go beyond the fifth,” said Lara.
Leigh: No one will walk through me
“He said a few things that made it quite personal,” said Leigh Wood about Lara. “He said I faked my injury. He said that all the English run away scared. No one is going to walk in town and walk through me. It’s not going to happen.
“I’ll meet him in the middle of the ring, and I’ll win by knockout. Let’s dance. I’ve got three fights left, maybe four maximum. I’ve just got to bite down and make those sacrifices.
“Over the years, things change. You don’t always want what you wanted when you started, but some things do change the same. The first thing was to when a British title and then win a world title.
“The third thing was to headline at the City Ground [in Nottingham]. Now I’m just one more thing to do, and win this fight, I believe it’s done,” said Wood.
“It’s going to be a special atmosphere, this fight. It’s going to be even better this time because last time, it was split with the Nottingham and the Irish,” Wood said.
Lara won’t reach the halfway point – Wood
“There are no shortcuts in boxing. I can’t just skip levels. I’ve done it the hard way, literally from the ground up,” said Wood. “I’ve had my fair share of setbacks in my career. Not getting fights, injuries, or being broke for a long time, literally, but one thing about me. I’ve always trained, and I’ve always believed in myself.
“When I’ve been winning, I’ve trained. When things were going off in my personal life, I trained. When my niece was going, I trained, and my sacrifice and dedication paid off,” said Wood.
“From the outside looking in, he looks very dangerous. He’s got that devastating win over Josh Warrington,” said Wood. “There’s a lot of things he does good, and he is dangerous, but at the same time, there are a lot of things he does very, very poorly, and you can’t get away with it at this level,” said Wood of Lara.
“He doesn’t have to come looking for him. I’ll be right in front of him. When he enters the ring, he’s going to be met with a very hostile crowd. I can’t see him reaching the halfway point,” said Wood.