Leigh Wood is the World Boxing Association’s “regular” featherweight (126-pound) champion. Michael Conlan, in his last outing, won the “interim” title. So is Saturday night’s fight between the two considered a unification bout? Those are the kind of questions we have to ask ourselves these days in this crazy politicized world of professional boxing.
We can tell you that Conlan is looking upon this as his opportunity to win a world title (his “interim” designation has been removed by the WBA, by the way), and he is actually kind of relieved that Wood is his opponent, rather than someone who might be held in higher regard.
But will Conlan, one of the more storied amateur competitors in Irish annals, be in for an unpleasant surprise?
We’ll find out about that when these two tangle at the Nottingham Arena.
A Few Words About Leigh Wood
The 33-year-old Wood (25-2, 15 KO’s) is, for what it’s worth, ranked just sixth in the world at 126 pounds by the people at Ring Magazine. Back in February 2014, he suffered a stoppage loss to Gavin McDonnell, but his battle to make weight made him tired. His other loss came in February 2020, when he lost a majority decision to Jazza Dickens.
Wood’s biggest triumph came last July when he scored a 12th-round stoppage over the capable Xu Can of China, who came in as the favorite on the heels of a 15-fight winning streak. It brought him the title belt he now holds.
That fight took place in the spacious backyard of promoter Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing), as attendance was restricted because of the pandemic. For this particular defense, he’ll be fighting in his own backyard, figuratively speaking.
And by the way, that didn’t necessarily sit well with Conlan, who felt it belonged in his native Balfast, where he’d enjoy some “home cooking,” so to speak.
Wood vs. Conlan Betting Odds
In the boxing betting odds posted on this WBA championship fight, Conlan is the favorite:
Michael Conlan -170
Leigh Wood +140
Over 10.5 Rounds -300
Under 10.5 Rounds +240
A Few Words About Michael Conlan
Anyone following boxing overseas is bound to be familiar with Conlan (16-0, 8 KO’s), who won a bronze medal in the flyweight division at the 2012 Olympics, as well as a gold at the 2015 World Championships, as he had moved up to the bantamweight class.
He may have completed his Olympic dream in 2016, but he lost a very controversial decision to Vladimir Nikitin in the quarterfinals. Conlan was extremely vocal about the judging, and subsequently he was reprimanded by the AIBA for betting on some of the Olympic bouts. Disgusted with the amateur game, he decided to turn pro shortly thereafter.
As a pro he exacted some “revenge” against Nikitin, winning a ten-round decision in December 2019. And in August of last year,he won the interim WBA crown with a 12-round verdict over TJ Doheny that wasn’t even close. Conlan came into the pro ranks with a lot of pomp and circumstance, and at age 30, it’s time for him to make the move to a new level of international recognition.
He’s been steered to an extent, but did he really have to be? Clearly he is the one with a richer background, although one has to concede that Wood’s victory over Xu Can is a valuable experience coming into this twelve-rounder. But it must be noted that in six of his last seven bouts, Conlan has gone at least into the tenth round, with two 12-round victories.
Wood vs. Conlan Predictions
Conlan has talent; there is no question about it. He is slick, and he’s a southpaw, and as Irish boxing legend Carl Frampton has pointed out in picking Conlan, he possesses a great deal of elusiveness.
But there has been an atmosphere of underachievement that seems to have surrounded him. And to be honest, it is altogether possible for a fighter to have peaked at that level. I have seen that many,many times. Maybe that isn’t the case here, but the fact is.Conlan hasn’t quite accomplished what Wood has in the pro ranks.
Conlan is not a big puncher, so the question is raised as to whether he can back Wood off. That could be an important thing, obviously. One of Conlan’s elusive moves involves bending forward at the waist, thus not giving his opponent a good angle. That’s what makes Wood’s right uppercut potentially a big factor. He landed it repeatedly and effectively against Xu Can, and he can use that as a natural counter to what Conlan wants to do defensively, There are different schools of thought here, but most people feel as if a fighter with an educated right hand has the ammunition to deal with a southpaw. And Wood comes from various angles with the right.
The way Hearn sees it, Wood carries another edge into the ring – he is more natural at 126 pounds.
“Looking at it, I would say Leigh Wood struggled more at the 126lbs limit. I would expect that,” the promoter said. “Michael Conlan was a bantamweight and is coming up from super-bantamweight. And I tell you what, Leigh Wood is going to be some size going into that ring, and a lot bigger than Michael Conlan.”
Wood also has some support on his side that he may not have had in Belfast. Even though there are reportedly 4000 fans from Ireland attending, this crowd is largely on his side. And the arena is sold out.
We may have the formula in place that directs us toward the underdog. So +140 doesn’t look bad. There is no getting around the idea that is a distance fight, and that is reflected in the numbers, which have you laying 3-1 that this will get past the halfway point of Round 11.
And that naturally leads us into the “method of victory” prop. Here are the odds for that:
Conlan by Decision or Technical Decision +100
Wood by Decision or Technical Decision +285
Wood by KO, TKO or DQ +400
Conlan by KO, TKO or DQ +425
Draw or Technical Draw +1600
And that leaves with the prospect of a decent payday, taking +285 on Wood to win on points.
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