Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara LIVE: Result as Briton regains title with points win
Re-live updates as Wood fought to regain the WBA featherweight title, which Lara won from him in February but lost on Friday after missing weight
Leigh Wood regained the WBA featherweight title with a decision win over Mauricio Lara on Saturday, avenging a knockout loss to the Mexican in the process.
Wood was fighting in his hometown of Nottingham in February when he suffered a controversial TKO defeat by Lara, who took the WBA belt from the 34-year-old in Round 7.
However, Lara, 25, was stripped of the title on Friday (26 May), after failing to make weight for his Manchester rematch with Wood. Furthermore, only Wood was eligible to win the vacant title in the main-event bout.
And Wood did just that, knocking down Lara in Round 2 and going on to beat the Mexican via unanimous decision. Elsewhere, Chris Billam-Smith won his first world title, and Michael Conlan suffered a brutal KO loss – more on those results below.
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Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara 2 LIVE
Tonight’s fight will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester.
The main card is set to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET), with ring walks for the main event expected at approximately 10pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET).
Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara 2 LIVE
Here is yesterday’s big story around tonight’s fight:
“Leigh Wood will be fighting for the ‘vacant’ WBA featherweight title on Saturday, after opponent Mauricio Lara was effectively stripped of the belt for failing to make weight.
“Lara took the title from Wood in February by stopping the Briton in Round 7, as the towel came in despite Wood beating the referee’s count after a knockdown. The pair are set for a rematch on Saturday (27 May), but only Wood, 34, will be eligible to leave Manchester as champion.
“That was the ruling after Lara came in nearly three pounds over the 126lbs featherweight limit at Friday’s weigh-in. While Wood weighed 125.9lbs, Lara hit the scales at 129.8lbs, after the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) refused to let the Mexican weigh less than 128.5lbs.
“The BBBofC expressed concern after a mid-week check suggested that Lara, 25, would struggle to make weight ‘safely’.”
More here, including what promoter Eddie Hearn and Wood’s trainer Ben Davison had to say:
Mauricio Lara stripped of title before Leigh Wood rematch amid weigh-in drama
The BBBofC prevented Lara from completing his weight-cut, after a mid-week check suggested that he would not make weight ‘safely’
Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara 2 LIVE
Leigh Wood takes on Mauricio Lara in Manchester tonight, one day after the latter was stripped of the WBA featherweight title.
Lara took the belt from Wood in February, beating the Briton in his hometown of Nottingham with a seventh-round TKO. It proved a controversial finish, with Wood’s corner throwing in the towel with six seconds left in the round, despite their fighter beating the referee’s count after a knockdown.
Wood and Lara are set to clash again this evening, though the Mexican was stripped of his title yesterday after failing to make the 126lbs limit. The British Boxing Board of Control prevented Lara, 25, from completing his weight-cut after expressing concern over his mid-week weight.
As such, only Wood, 34, will be eligible to win the vacant title this evening.
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