Leigh Wooden can envision a state of affairs the place each he and Michael Conlan are featherweight titlists by the top of Saturday evening.
The pair of former rivals struggle in separate title fights, although the state of affairs is extra absolute for Conlan who faces IBF featherweight titlist Luis Alberto Lopez (27-2, 15KOs) in his hometown of Belfast, Northern Eire. The 2-time Olympian and 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist is a slim -125 favourite in accordance with bet365 sportsbook to wrest the crown from Mexicali’s Lopez, who enters his first title protection at even cash.
These odds are instantly consistent with what number of—together with Wooden—see the motion unfolding within the ESPN+/BT Sport headliner.
“I barely lean in direction of Conlan,” Wooden instructed BoxingScene.com. “I do consider he can pull this off. If something, I do consider that Conlan is a tougher model for Lopez than Lopez is for Michael.”
The struggle will air at an sooner than regular begin time for a UK major occasion, which can keep away from battle with Wooden’s at the moment scheduled rematch versus Mauricio Lara. Their WBA featherweight title struggle remains to be on the right track to happen as this goes to publication, although with the belt solely at stake for Wooden (26-3, 16KOs) atop their DAZN major occasion from AO Enviornment in Manchester, England.
Mexico Metropolis’s Lara (26-2-1, 19KOs) was to date over the restrict throughout a struggle week weight verify that the British Boxing Board of Management (BBBofC) forbade him native from reducing the quantity of weight essential to make featherweight. Lara was 129.8 kilos at Friday’s weigh-in, above the minimal 128 ½-pound restrict he may safely weigh, although simply mild sufficient to the place Wooden—who was 125.9 kilos—was nonetheless enticed to proceed with plans to avenge a seventh-round knockout defeat simply 13 weeks in the past in his Nottingham hometown.
The struggle was his first since his thriller with Conlan (18-1, 9KOs) of their 2022 Battle of the Yr final March 12 in Nottingham. Wooden was down within the opening spherical and trailed on all three playing cards earlier than he rallied to drop Conlan late in spherical eleven after which out of the ring to finish the struggle with 95 seconds to go of their prompt traditional.
Conlan got here up brief in his bid to say Wooden’s WBA featherweight title that evening, however is favored—if ever so barely—to return up aces on his second strive.
“Skillful, skillful fighter that Michael Conlan is,” acknowledged Wooden. “I do lean in direction of Michael, I believe he can be just a bit bit too artful for him.”