Not all elite amateurs make top professionals. Some simply find the longer rounds and slower-paced style are not to their liking. Michael Conlan was a standout in the unpaid code. He won European and World golds for Ireland and only the great Cuban Robeisy Ramirez (in 2012) and a hugely controversial quarter-final decision four years later prevented him improving upon Olympic bronze. Fast, clever and busy, Mick looked a special talent in the vest.
Conlan entered tonight’s WBA featherweight title challenge to Leigh Wood at 16-0 (8) but while he has never looked in danger of defeat, the Irishman had yet to emulate his amateur prowess since turning over. Wood, 25-2 (15) coming in and fighting at Nottingham Arena in his home city, could not boast anything like Conlan’s gold medals but had fought the better opposition, more consistently, as a paid boxer, and was enjoying the best period of a tough career. Stopping the favoured Can Xu for the belt in July meant he was in fine form and could claim the best win on either of their records. The outcome of this Matchroom/DAZN main event would prove, one way or another, if Conlan could be anywhere nears as good a pro as he was an amateur. A showdown that may have seemed a test for Conlan two years ago now appeared a 50-50 fight, and the duel between the respected respective trainers, Adam Booth (Conlan) and Ben Davison, was an intriguing sub-plot.
As it turned out a hugely dramatic and engrossing fight came to a fittingly explosive end in the final round, as Leigh Wood, seemingly far behind on the scorecards having been outboxed for long periods and dropped early, bagged an unlikely final-round stoppage victory.
Buoyed by a rabid crowd, Wood began brightly on the front foot and was edging the opener before, in the closing seconds, Conlan, previously fleet of foot and content to dart around the perimeter, dropped the champion heavily from the southpaw stance with a straight left. Leigh rose too quickly but the bell rang. He was hurt again early in the second, Conlan, despite being cut around the left eye from a head-clash, pouring it on, Wood holding judiciously to clear his head and came back towards the end. Conlan took round three also, his faster hands bringing blood from Wood’s nose and quick feet forcing the Nottingham man to overreach.
Wood finally put a round in the bank in the fourth, cutting the space down and unloading in combinations. Conlan came back well in the next, landing the telling shots and Wood was cut now, again by heads, and around the left eye too. Wood crowded his rival more in round six which led to more exchanges, Conlan faster, Leigh busier. Conlan sensibly focused on the body and held fairly often.
In the seventh, they traded more, Wood finding success but leaving himself vulnerable to sharp counters. The champ enjoyed his best session thus far in the next, outlanding Conlan in exchanges and leaving his challenger trudging wearily to the stool. Wood failed to capitalise, however, allowing Conlan to win the ninth mostly on the southpaw jab and picking him off with single blows.
The 10th was Wood’s as he rebounded from being stung to the body early to land a clean right hand then surged forward throwing everything at the Irishman. He did even better in round 11, coming back from shipping several clean left hands to deck Conlan with a hard right hook in the dying embers. Furious Conlan claimed a slip but Wood pumped his fist in triumph. Wood drove forward in the final round, pinned Conlan against the ropes and landed a barrage of hard shots topped off by a short right hand. Conlan froze, his hands dropped and, helpless sitting on the bottom strand, he was knocked through the ropes to the floor. Referee Steve Gray waved the contest off as Conlan was attended to and the rival factions in the crowd clashed. Wood admirably called for calm.
It was reported soon after that, despite leaving the arena on a stretcher, Conlan was conscious and responsive backstage. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.
