WHO will Leigh Wood fight next? Eddie Hearn has indicated his choice.
Wood, who is a number one contender for British Fighter of the Year, defeated Josh Warrington final day out. The all-British featherweight contest was keenly fought and gave the impression to be going the best way of Warrington earlier than Wood turned issues round with a dramatic and contentious end in spherical seven.
As Warrington’s momentum elevated from the third spherical, Wood discovered himself below stress. But with seconds left within the seventh, ‘Leigh-thal’ proved to be simply that when a proper hook staggered his opponent earlier than one other 5 unanswered photographs despatched Warrington to the canvas simply because the bell rang to finish of the spherical.
As Warrington staggered again to his nook and turned his again, referee Michael Alexander tolled the necessary eight depend earlier than halting the competition – a lot to the annoyance of Team Warrington, who’ve called for a rematch. In the aftermath, Wood voiced his intention to marketing campaign at 130lbs and subsequently relinquished his WBA featherweight strap. Wood’s first foray at super-featherweight seems more likely to happen at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground next spring.
Warrington, Joe Cordina and Emanuel Navarrete have all been linked to a fight towards the 35-year-old however, on Thursday, Hearn informed Boxing News which one he is barely favouring.
“I learn towards the Josh Warrington rematch because watching the fight back and seeing everyone’s response, I think he deserves another crack at it,” Hearn mentioned.
“We know he’s gonna bring 10,000 from Leeds to Nottingham Forest for a fight like that and Leigh will fill the rest. We’ll have to see but it could be Joe, it could be Navarrete, it could be Warrington, but the plan is May in Nottingham Forest.”
Another title that could possibly be within the operating is Michael Conlan, who was stopped by Wood in one other thrilling affair in March 2022. Having been knocked down within the opening stanza and outboxed for massive intervals, Wood knocked Conlan out within the last spherical.
Conlan, who then defeated Miguel Marriaga and Karim Guerfi, misplaced convincingly to Luis Alberto Lopez in Belfast 5 months in the past. The 31-year-old returns to the ring in a joint Conlan Boxing/Matchroom Boxing promotion on December 2 in Belfast towards Jordan Gill.
“A statement win for Conlan against Jordan Gill would put his name in the mix for sure,” Hearn mentioned.
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