BN Verdict: Leigh Wood finds the punch of a lifetime (again) to turn a potential defeat into victory (again)

MOMENTS after Leigh Wood related with the proper hook which disconnected Josh Warrington from his senses and turned what appeared to be a doubtless defeat into sure victory, DAZN’s Mike Costello referred to as it “the punch of a lifetime”, so caught up was the veteran commentator in the sheer drama of all of it.

The reality is, of course, for Wood, 28-3 (17), this was simply one other “punch of a lifetime”. It was, in reality, his second come-from-behind, one-punch end in the area of simply 18 months, following that gorgeous final-round knockout of Michael Conlan – on that event a proper cross – in 2021. That it occurred once more, this time in spherical seven fairly than the final, is a testomony to not solely Wood’s punch energy, but additionally his uncanny capability to hold persevering regardless of swings of momentum going in opposition to him and, moreover, regardless of the confidence in his opponent’s eyes and manner.

For it can’t be denied that Warrington, at the level at which Wood’s proper hook cracked in opposition to his uncovered jaw, was very a lot in management and on his manner to victory. Moving nicely, and beating Wood to the punch time and time once more, the Leeds man, in contrast to Conlan earlier than him, was caught at a time in the battle when he was each comparatively recent and clearly on high. With Conlan, you see, the identical couldn’t be mentioned. By then, regardless of having floored Wood in the first spherical, the Irishman had successfully punched himself out and was trying to now fiddle his manner to a choice as opposed to draw back so as to take away any doubt in the eyes of the ringside judges.

Warrington, in contrast, was nonetheless engaged on his masterpiece at the time of the stoppage. He was getting higher, too, spherical after spherical, and maybe misplaced just one of the six accomplished. Indeed, as soon as he had found out Wood as a southpaw, a stance the Nottingham featherweight tried greater than as soon as, Warrington had issues principally his personal manner in the contest. He combined his assaults nicely to each head and physique and had a lot of success with the left hook, which regularly landed upstairs after Warrington had first invested closely downstairs. It was, in some ways, a efficiency typical of Warrington: full of depth, full of mixtures, and full of borderline headbutts, shoulders, and low blows. Also added to that had been proper palms round the again of the head, a transgression Wood not solely complained about early on, however one for which in spherical seven, the identical spherical by which he was stopped, Warrington had a level deducted.

In the finish, although, it was all immaterial, similar to the 4 or 5 rounds Warrington seemingly received earlier than the pivotal proper hook landed. Interestingly, too, fairly than frustration, as tends to be the case when a fighter resorts to so-called soiled techniques, Warrington’s antics had been as an alternative merely half of his recreation plan, his character, his very DNA. If something, tonight it was a signal not of frustration however of enthusiasm, ardour, pleasure. He was, it appeared, determined to put his palms on Wood and land as onerous and as typically as he might.

This, as soon as getting to grips with Wood’s left-handed stance, he was ready to do with aplomb as nicely, typically unsettling Wood with a mixture; one that will normally begin with a punch earlier than making manner for one more half of his anatomy, or vice versa.

Still, regardless of how messy it could have appeared, Warrington, it was plain to see, was making Wood battle his variety of battle. This was one thing highlighted by not simply the reality Wood was reduce by his proper eye in spherical 4 – a punch, apparently – but additionally the uncertainty with which he switched from orthodox to southpaw after which again once more.

In spherical 5, for instance, he was once more boxing right-handed, as if having given up on the southpaw experiment altogether. It was in that stance, southpaw, he had in spherical two been ready to create area for his left hand, thrown as each a cross and an uppercut. However, Warrington was quickly hip to this and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he realised throwing punches in bunches and successfully suffocating Wood was going to be the manner round this challenge.

It was problem-solving, that’s all, and Warrington, now 31-3-1 (8), was displaying a knack for it, in a lot the identical manner he was displaying newfound maturity, management, and, most necessary of all, dominance. Which is why, when in spherical seven Wood, again briefly as a southpaw, stepped to him in an trade and let fly together with his proper hook, the injury completed by the punch was excess of the injury completed by your common proper hook touchdown flush on an unguarded chin in a routine battle. Here, with Warrington defending every thing however his chin, and with momentum undoubtedly his, this was a punch the likes of which most fighters, Costello is correct, solely throw, land and expertise as soon as in a lifetime – in the event that they’re fortunate.

And but, for Leigh Wood, this, fairly than a uncommon prevalence, has turn out to be all of a sudden a widespread one; one virtually anticipated, anticipated. Which, if true, then begs the query: At what level does a “punch of a lifetime” turn out to be an motion deliberate fairly than one delivered, as if a miracle, by the boxing gods? Moreover, given Wood’s propensity to battle like this, and now win fights like this, at what level will we cease being shocked and at what level is a battle ever really deemed a misplaced trigger in the loopy and unpredictable world of Leigh Wood?