Featherweight Mauricio “Bronco” Lara (26-2-1, 19 KOs) scored a one-punch seventh round TKO to dethrone WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood (26-3, 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England. Local hero Wood was cut over the left eye from a first round head clash, but was clearly winning the fight. In round seven, both simultaneously landed left hooks. Lara took it. Wood went down. He beat the count, but his trainer Ben Davidson threw in the towel before the bout could resume. Time was 2:54.
After the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn announced that Wood has a rematch clause and he expects him to use it.
Kid got BLASTED!!! 12 seconds left in the round and your corner throws in the towel? That’s amateur shit.
His corner saved this kid’s life.
9 seconds is a long time on wobble legs to take more punishment, his corner did the right thing and protected him from more punishment
Did his corner know there were 12 seconds left?
That segment of society that wants to see fighters leave on stretchers boggles the mind.
Brings to mind the first Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor fight. Taylor was dropped and clearly hurt & referee Richard Steele did the right thing by stopping the fight even though there were only two seconds left. One more punch could’ve left Taylor brain damaged!
Wood performed much better than I expected and seemed to have neutralized Lara. But what a punch from Lara and Wood was out on his feet. Despite only a few seconds left in the round, you cannot allow a defenseless fighter to take even one more big shot.
Wood should have spit out his mouthpiece like Navarette against Wilson!
It would have given him time to recover!
I don’t know if he had the presence of mind to spit out his mouthpiece. He was still out even on his feet.
you seem to be somewhat bias towards Mexican boxers Juanita.
Agreed..
If you watch Wood as he got up, his legs were gone. A shot or two more from Lara could have meant a bad ko.
Carl Froch had Wood winning all rounds but one, he scored it for his local fighter.
Carl Fraud is not my favorite boxer. He never impressed me. How he got into the IBHOF I will never know.
He scored it for the guy that was clearly winning that fight.
It looked like Lara was going to get rid of him quickly the way things were going in the second but he seemed to gas out after that and wood took over. But man hes got big time power.
It was a good entertaining fight, and what an explosive end to it. The fight was close leaning towards Wood, but by no means was a cruise for Wood. I thought it was still a toss up to that moment. Lara still looked really strong in my view. He wasn’t gas like the commentators said. Somewhat tired, yes but by no means gassed . And Wood wasn’t handling Lara easily like they where implying. The whole fight felt to me like Lara was just one punch away from ending it and it did. But Wood made it a good fight, I really thought it would end much earlier that it did. Warrington wants a rematch. He’ll end up the same way as in the first fight. Lara is raw and doesn’t seem to have much boxing skill, but he is a tremendous puncher, and will give any one hell.
Lara is way too powerful and dangerous. Can’t wait to see more of him…
Well said, Arturo.
Tragedy in boxing is sometimes one or two punches away, IMO Wood’s corner did the right thing, something that the referee was unable to do afraid of criticism for an early stoppage, afraid of the crowd reaction. If Lara was able to land that massive blow when Wood was alert and fighting wells, what about an impaired and defenseless Wood?
BS stoppage, Wood would have won. Trainer on books.
Dude, I was pulling for Wood but he was kaput.
He would have been decapitated had that fight continued. 12 seconds or 2 seconds, didn’t matter.
We can criticize the decision by Woods corner but what if he would have made it up and in the next round would have taken more power punches and be knocked out and be damaged for future fight’s? It’s a tough call but I can say it was the right call.. good fight from both combatants.
So hard. Watching, I thought “hey give him the minute and then decide,” or even, “let him go back out but have a quick hook.” But there was disaster in the air. That’s my guy? Stopping it. Nobody every died from not getting hit.
Would it kill Lara to move his head? Good grief a little better defense to go with that power would go a long way and maybe lengthen his career.
I would of liked his corner to wait till the end of the round. Lara came out of the neutral corner too early and the ref would have made him go back, he was actually about to before the towel came in, this would have saved Wood considering there was only 10 seconds left. At least he then could have had the minute break between the round to recover and for his corner to see how he was. Poor time management by Woods corner. Having said that, what a left hook.
I have mixed feelings about the stoppage but one things that bothers me is that the ref did not have Lara standing in a neutral corner. Lara was right there ready to pounce. Dempsey was not allowed to stand near Tunney like that…was that not the reason for the long count? Marlon Wright forced Andrade back to a neutral corner when he had Bute down which he caught heat for but I believe he was following the rules. With seconds left in the round enforcing that rule could have affected how much time Lara had to get at Wood. Maybe I am wrong but I thought being sent to a neutral corner and being forced to stay there until the ref says to resume is a universal rule?
@pete: Best comment so far. It was right the corner threw in the towel, but if the ref had told Lara to go back to the neutral corner, which he should have yes, it probably would have been a different decision by Wood’s corner.
Thank you Henry! I am surprised more of an issue was not made of that aspect.
Not surprised. Lara is fierce!
Amazing what eating “tainted meat” does to your body.
Lara was superb. Great fight. A+ stuff from both guys. No losers in this fight. Just 1 emerging super star in Mauricio Lara.
Lara is a Gangster! He would’ve fucked Wood up badly in the next round!!
Omg. I just watched the HL’s and please no rematch.Lara hurt this guy in every round. And how anyone could say Wood was winning is horrible.
Every time Lara landed , Wood was shaken. His eyes rolled at least three times . The final punch was predictable. Lara cranked it up in the previous round for the last 20 seconds. He got confident from the three or four punches that landed well. Then, next round he landed. Nicely done Lara.
I looked here first before watching the fight and I have it saved. I do this a few times per year.
Warmth my heart to see the courage from Woods corner to stop the fight. Good stoppage.
Lara looked physically stronger and he repeatedly manage to reach Wood with hooks and upercuts to body and head. I expect that Lara will win a rematch too.
Wood would need more sting and strength to keep Lara away. In his way Lara is predictable but I’m not convinced that Wood has the toolbox to use that knowledge.
I understand how the word controversy will get mentioned on this fights outcome but Wood tends to get staggered bad when hit hard, I don’t believe he would have recovered enough to come out the next round and make it out
There is levels to power and tolerance just cause Wood had an amazing outcome against Conley does not mean the same would happen against Lara
Wood has a glass jaw and Lara hits harder than Conley
Lara would have rushed and attacked Wood viciously for the remaining seconds and the next round if continued
Great for him to have such a caring corner he will not agree cause his heart is of a fighter but his family will appreciate the decision
End result is a part of what makes this sport so great.
Good stoppage. Better the corner than the referee. They have a better idea if their fighter is hurt. They know their fighter and how they should respond. Better early than late.
Ref should have walked Lara back to his corner. Round would have been over.
That guy looks hurt