Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan LIVE: Fight stream, latest updates and result tonight
Re-live round-by-round updates of all the action at the Nottingham Arena
Leigh Wood retained the WBA featherweight title on Saturday night in the most remarkable of boxing contests, sending Michael Conlan through the ropes in the final round after climbing off the canvas himself in the first frame.
There was plenty of support for home fighter Wood at the Nottingham Arena, and the champion started impressively, but the fight looked set to be short lived when the challenger floored Wood on the bell at the end of Round 1. Conlan looked low but threw a left hand over the top to send Wood crashing to the canvas, and the resilience required by the Englishman to make it back to his feet was only built upon as the bout progressed.
Olympic bronze medalist Conlan boxed smartly throughout, picking his shots wisely with his back against the ropes, as Wood found occasional success to the body of his undefeated opponent but increasingly looked to be forcing punches and chasing Conlan, who was stunting any momentum that Wood could create. Still, the hometown fighter continued to press forward valiantly.
Wood, 33, put together his best spell late in Round 10, somehow rallying to the body of Conlan after eating a series of bruising left hooks. The champion then scored a debatable knockdown of his 30-year-old opponent – who believed he had simply slipped – in the 11th frame. The enthralling contest came to a head early in the 12th and final round, when Wood sent Conlan tumbling through the ropes with a vicious knockout. Conlan was subsequently taken to hospital in an ambulance and was later confirmed to be “conscious and stable”.
Re-live round-by-round updates from Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan and all the undercard action, below.
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
Ryan vs Farias – Round 2
A slow left hook misses for Farias, but she goes to the shot again and lands clean!
She tries for one more, which grazes Ryan. The Briton looks to slow the pace down from behind her jab.
The women clinch as the round comes to an end.
“Keep that distance the same,” Ryan’s coach tells her. “We know what she’s gonna do, big left hook.”
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
Ryan vs Farias – Round 1
Farias refuses to touch gloves with Ryan and heads to her corner, but the referee calls the Argentine back and forces her to show her opponent some respect.
Off we go. Ryan, the taller fighter, with some nice counter jabs and a high guard to block Farias’ hooks.
Farias with a left hook to the body then jab to the head, though, landing with both shots – nice work.
Ryan parries a big overhand right then soon lands a nice straight-hook combination. The Briton then digs an uppercut into her opponent’s ribs.
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
First up is a women’s super-lightweight bout between Derby’s Sandy Ryan (3-0, 2 KOs) and Erica Anabella Farias (26-5, 10 KOs) of Argentina.
Ten rounds to come...
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
Full prelim results:
Thomas Whittaker-Hart def. Simon Krebs (light-heavyweight)
Thomas Carty def. Michal Boloz (heavyweight)
Nico Leivars def. Jose Hernandez (featherweight)
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
And here’s the main card for this evening, from the first contest to the main event:
Sandy Ryan vs Erica Anabella Farias (super-lightweight)
Gary Cully vs Miguel Vazquez (lightweight)
Terri Harper vs Yamila Belen Abellaneda (women’s lightweight)
Caoimhin Agyarko vs Juan Carlos Rubio (middleweight)
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan (WBA featherweight title)
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
Here’s how the final prelim bout of the evening played out:
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
The main card is upon us!
Will we see a new WBA featherweight champion crowned in tonight’s main event?
Or can Leigh Wood see off the challenge of the undefeated Michael Conlan?
We’ll find out in due course...
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
We’ll have round-by-round updates from the main card at 7pm, but to whet your appetite, here’s a snippet from this evening’s prelims.
Thomas Whittaker-Hart making light work of Ben Thomas!
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
Leigh Wood will look to lean on home support at the Nottingham Arena this evening, as he puts his WBA featherweight title on the line against Ireland’s Michael Conlan.
The main-event fight represents Wood’s first defence of the title he won from Can Xu last July, while Conlan (16-0, 8 knockouts) became interim champion by securing a decision victory over TJ Doheny in August. Wood (25-2, 15 KOs) comes into this contest riding a two-fight win streak, having last suffered a loss in 2020, when he was on the wrong end of a majority decision against James Dickens. Both of his recent victories were achieved via TKO, however, so the 33-year-old will enter this weekend’s headline bout high on confidence.
This clash with the charismatic Conlan, 30, will represent a tough test for Wood, though, as the Olympic bronze medalist looks to win the biggest title of his pro career and remain undefeated. “I’m going to destroy you, beat you to a pulp in your home city,” Conlan told Wood at the weigh-in, with the Englishman calling his challenger a “skinny rat” in response.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments