‘I want to see him and have a drink with him.’
Leigh Wood needed a 12th round knockout, in the final pulses of an all-time classic, to defeat Michael Conlan at the Motorpoint Arena, on Saturday night.
The Nottingham native successfully defended his WBA featherweight world title by handing Conlan his first professional loss.
Wood, 33, was a big underdog heading into the fight. He still describes himself as being still “under the radar” despite his spectacular stoppage. He was knocked down in the first round by the Olympic silver medalist, and ate some big shots across the fight, but finished stronger to retain his strap.
Credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing (and all pictures below)Leigh Wood on knocking out Michael Conlan.
There were legitimate concerns for the health of Conlan after he fell backwards out of the ring. Wood had knocked him out and Conlan slumped back through the ropes.
Following the fight, back in his changing room, Wood gave iFL TV his immediate reaction as he learned his opponent was out of the woods and full conscious.
“That’s all I’ve been thinking about since I hit him, to be honest, after those last few shots,” he said. “I’ve been told he’s up, talking and he’s fine, so hopefully everything is all right.”
Wood revealed he thought his first round knock-down had only been brief, only to be later told that ‘your head bounced off the canvas’. On his title defence, he added:
“When I won that belt, I was prepared to walk through fire. I knew he would be tonight. Anything he gave, I had to give that one per cent more!
“It wasn’t the knockdown. Two or three seconds before that I caught him with a shot, he was a bit out on his feet. I’ll have to watch it back.”
“In the 12th round, I was tucking up a little bit and he was opening up. When I went out of guard he was opening up and I seen a lot of gaps.
“Then in the 11th round I tucked up and caught him in the gaps, and in the 12th he carried on doing it. I seen more gaps and that’s how I got him out in the end.”
Leigh Wood talks about what’s next.
“Leo Santa Cruz picked Conlan to win, so bring him over here because he’s going to underestimate me again. Everyone keeps underestimating me.
“I don’t go out to knock them out, but let’s keep our voices down because I’m under the radar at the minute, so let’s keep it that way.
Asked again if it was a relief to learn Conlan was doing okay in the local hospital, Wood eagerly nodded.
“Absolutely. I want to see him and I want to have a drink with him.”
The pair did indeed catch up on Sunday morning and posed for a picture after first taking a few minutes to re-live big moments in the war they had both been through.
Catch that full interview here:
