Newly crowned WBO 130-pound champion Emanuel Navarrete and top Australian contender Liam Wilson clashed in a fight of the year candidate on Feb. 3. There was everything you would want to see in a prizefight — action, entertainment and offense. Both men suffered cuts and split a pair of knockdowns, one which caused Wilson’s corner to throw in the towel in Round 9. Navarrete and Wilson displayed courage and tremendous determination. “It was a big drama show,” in the words of knockout artist Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin. Fights like these are instant classics, and it takes two fighters with a made-up mind beforehand to fight that way, showing viewers what they are made of.
What if I told you I see another potential candidate for fight of the year on the horizon?
One half of the highly anticipated matchup is WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood, whose come-from-behind, title-winning knockout of Michael Conlan 11 months ago was named ESPN’s 2022 fight of the year. Now Wood, of England, is faced with a new challenger, Mexico’s Mauricio Lara, who displayed his raw punching power and talent two years ago in England against former champion Josh Warrington in a thriller, stopping Warrington in nine rounds at Wembley arena.
The matchup
Lara is no rookie in traveling, so I don’t suspect uncertainty to flood his mind. I’m sure weight won’t be an issue, either, and his nerves should be mild because of the familiar territory. I assure you that Wood will have to fight better than ever to retain his title on his home turf, inside Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, the place where I won my first world title back in 2008 against Junior Witter. The fans will undoubtedly be loud and engaged in the action for as long as the fight lasts.
I’m sure Wood is oozing with confidence after wowing us all in the win against Conlan, and truly learning about his courage in coming from behind after being down in Round 1. He now has embodied what it takes to be a champion.
Winning the belt is hard, but keeping it is a totally different thing. He’s now the champion, and his job is to defend the belt. To do so, Wood needs to fix the mistakes he made in the past fight. Some were minor, others glaring at me like the horns on a bull. If Wood doesn’t, Lara has a window for an opportunity.
All ring warriors reflect on why and how they got hit with a punch or a repeated punch, especially if it caused them to go down. I expect Wood to be 30% better because of becoming a belt holder. He is tactically sound. His decision-making on knowing when to attack, feint, clinch or disengage supersedes his athleticism.
How can Wood retain his title?
Lara’s boxing style is pugnacious, and Wood, by nature, is also an aggressive boxer. But Wood insists on controlling distance from the outside with jabs and probes, standing directly in front of opponents like a guardsman protecting a palace. He can sometimes be a risk taker and impatient, attacking straight inside, occasionally lunging with looping shots. The bigger the risk doesn’t always mean the more significant the reward. He should be aware of Lara’s slip counters and explosive combinations. Lara’s punch variety is far superior on film. Wood has to box intelligently while keeping the distance by moving laterally, establishing his jab and using feints to keep the flat-footed Lara off balance.
However, Lara succeeds when an opposing fighter stands in front of him for long periods or when someone tries to push him back. Keeping the fight in the center of the ring and not in a phone booth or against the ropes is critical for Wood to succeed. Lara does tend to use upper-body movement by bending his waist, but his jab defense isn’t the best. Wood, if executing correctly, could expose this weakness. Doing so will control Lara’s aggression and disarm his explosive offense.
How does Lara become the new champion?
Two words to describe Lara’s style: runaway train. Lara trains at high altitudes in the mountains near Mexico City. Like Wood’s, Lara’s conditioning and stamina are elite, and that can overcome any speed deficiency. Lara puts his flag right beside him, and he dares someone to take it. He’s not easily pushed back as he stands his ground. Lara is physically strong and mentally tough. His pressure is organized, not reckless, and infused with upper-body movement to help disguise his punches.
He is excellent at finding openings and exposing any high-guard defense. Lara is a left-hook artist, but he possesses power in both hands. He will play possum, occasionally giving up some of his defense for his offense, to lure opponents into a firefight. That coincides with his timing and explosive combinations to provide protection. Lara’s timing is his best skill; it requires excellent vision. That great ring vision gives him insight for anticipating punches to counter.
Lara needs to do what got him here and rely on his skills. His capacity to give and receive punches, plus his conditioning, helped him beat skillful opponents, including the champions. Lara’s mental toughness is a skill given to him by nature and nourished through hard work. Mental fortitude is a skill honed by combining Lara’s desire and the behavioral principles set upon him at an early age. Getting inside and staying inside the pocket is all that’s required, but of course, there will be some resistance from the champion, whose tactics can be overwhelming for Lara’s aggression.
Who wins?
Wood can outbox Lara as long he avoids 50/50 exchanges. Wood gets hit repeatedly by left hooks because he stands tall while stepping straight back from midrange and can be followed out. Lara’s left hook has an automatic switch, and he throws it often as a lead or in-between combination, especially in exchanges. If Wood didn’t tighten up his bad habit during training, I could see Lara knocking him out before six rounds. But if Wood can use his experience to avoid brawling against the bigger puncher, I can see Wood winning on the cards. My pick is Lara. I’m not sure if Wood can keep his head on straight without getting dragged into a brawl with Lara.