By Barry Holbrook: Leigh Wooden has reportedly confirmed that his combat with former WBA featherweight champion Mauricio Lara will proceed for Saturday evening.
Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless not a certainty the combat will happen tomorrow evening. Wooden’s coach Ben Davison repeatedly identified that “phrases are met” tomorrow for the protection of Leigh for the competition to happen.
Though Davison didn’t say the phrases, he repeatedly talked about the phrase “security,” which might solely imply one factor—a rehydration restrict. We may see a weight test for Mauricio Lara on Saturday, just like the one we not too long ago noticed for Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis. Ryan needed to withhold fluids and meals to make the rehydration clause.
Relying on how late on Saturday the burden test is for Lara, he might be a drained zombie when he enters the ring with the 34-year-old Wooden, maybe the one probability he has of beating the youthful, stronger, sooner fighter.
Doable rehydration restrict Lara
Davison didn’t say the phrases, however there could also be a secondary weigh-in on Saturday morning with a most weight restrict that Lara can are available at.
On this case, Lara should withhold fluids and meals in a single day to make sure he doesn’t exceed the burden. Relying on how late the burden test is on Saturday, Lara might be sufficiently drained by the point of the combat for Wooden to win.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, the British Boxing Board of Management wasn’t proud of the test weight for Lara. They then mentioned he couldn’t are available lower than 128.5 lbs on the weigh-in.
What this implies is Lara successfully misplaced his title final Wednesday quite than at the moment, which is loopy, however he’s combating within the UK with totally different guidelines. If this combat had been within the U.S. or anyplace else on the planet, Lara doubtless would have been allowed to make weight.
We have had affirmation from @itsLeighWood that tomorrow’s combat will go forward.
World title nonetheless on the road for Wooden, however not for Lara. https://t.co/4JjZ6DTKK4
— BBC Nottingham Sport (@BBCRNS) Could 26, 2023
Ben Davison talks about Lara’s weight
“By the point we knew what Lara was going to return in, Leigh had already made championship weight,” mentioned Ben Davison to iFL TV. “So clearly, we’re not proud of the state of affairs with that occuring.
“We’ve spoken to the workforce, and the workforce has spoken, and so they’ve spoken to Matchroom. I can’t go into an excessive amount of element, however phrases have been put in place to make sure that we’re joyful and the well being and security issues of our fighter.
“We’ve come to an settlement that we’re proud of. I feel this story that the Board didn’t permit Lara to make weight is a false narrative as a result of we’re nowhere close to the burden that the board permits him to make.
“The truth that he’s [Lara] boiled himself down and will solely get all the way down to that [129 3/4 lbs]. You possibly can take a look at him weighing in heavy as a bonus, or he boiled himself all the way down to that, and he may solely get all the way down to that. That’s how f**ked he’s. That’s a drawback as effectively.
“For us, there are phrases that should be met for us to be joyful, and people phrases have been agreed for us to make sure, like I say, the protection of Leigh Wooden.
“The truth that he bought nowhere close to the burden the Board arrange for him to be allowed to weigh means that he would have gotten nowhere close to the championship weight anyway. Like I mentioned, these phrases must be met. If these phrases should not met, like I mentioned, the well being & security and a good crack on the whip is most necessary above all else.
“In the mean time, these phrases are met, and if they continue to be that method, the combat will happen. It’s a troublesome state of affairs to try to discuss a fighter out of a combat. It may be very troublesome dialog to try to have.
“Like I mentioned, it’s crucial that these phrases are met. There are a number of issues in place to make sure that we’re joyful for the combat to go forward,” mentioned Davison.