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Leigh Wood’s reign as WBA featherweight champion ended with the firm words of Ben Davison ringing in his ears as Nottingham reeled from the sight of his white towel being hurled into the ring. “You was a bit too hurt. You were too hurt. Trust me.”
Wood has always trusted Davison implicitly. His legs – and for a moment, his lower lip – wobbled as he was reminded of the rematch clause in the fight contract, the chance to avenge the destructive left hook that had taken his belt away.
For all the criticism of the stoppage, Wood later conceded that he needed to be “saved from himself”.
He now fights to regain his belt, but with a twist. Mauricio Lara was stripped of the title on Friday, having failed to make weight. Eddie Hearn confirmed that the belt would therefore be vacant, but that Wood is still able to contest it against an “angry and frustrated” Lara.
Even the British fighter’s most ardent fans must fear a repeat of the TKO that could have endangered Wood’s career this time around, against a Mexican brawler who has been underestimated one too many times – first, by Josh Warrington, and later by an army of Wood’s devotees who seemingly believed they could roar him to victory.
Lara, by contrast, was not a popular champion. He had overcome the most hostile of crowds but showed little grace, taking the moments after being newly-crowned to spit at Warrington, who was sat ringside.
It would later be claimed Warrington had insulted his family, and Lara refused to apologise.
Whether he is ever able to win his place in the popular imagination or not, it is his pace that makes him so troubling for Wood, who is still reliant on his Fight of the Year knockout of Michael Conlan to convince he can make this fight an endurance test, before springing a surprise late on.
If he is able to do that, Warrington lies in wait.
Lara vs Wood 2
- Date: Saturday 27 May
- Venue: Manchester Arena, UK
- Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 10pm (UK time)
- TV/live stream: DAZN, where subscriptions start from £9.99 a month. While it’s pay-per-view in the US and Canada UK fans will have it included in their monthly package
- Undercard highlights: Jack Catterall fights for the first time since his controversial defeat to Josh Taylor as he starts his rebuild against Darragh Foley.
Terri Harper was unable to defend her WBA super-welterweight title on Katie Taylor’s undercard because Cecilia Braekhus withdrew through illness, but she’s back a week later against a new opponent – Ivana Habazin.
Campbell Hatton is also in action after a huge stoppage last time out on Anthony Joshua’s undercard - i predicts: As much as the home crowd will be on Wood’s side, Lara has proven himself as far too dangerous and we’re backing him to stop his opponent again rounds 6-8 – but all that will be on the line for him is a payday.
Full card:
- Mauricio Lara vs Leigh Wood 2
- Jack Catterall vs Darragh Foley
- Terri Harper vs Ivana Habazin
- Danny Ball vs Jamie Robinson
- Aqib Fiaz vs Costin Ion
- Campbell Hatton vs Michal Bulak
- William Crolla vs TBA
- Aaron Bowen vs TBA
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Okolie vs Billam-Smith
The last time Lawrence Okolie left the ring, it was to the sound of a smattering of jeers as he delivered, in his own words, a “5/6” performance against David Light. Okolie’s points victory may have left Light requiring hospital treatment in the days that followed, but that only tells half the story.
The WBO champion blamed ring-rust yet it spoke of a wider trend, having also beaten Michal Cieslak by unanimous decision; his spate of early knockouts has come to a grinding halt. He has ditched Shane McGuigan – who still trains Billam-Smith – and opted to work with SugarHill Steward, and has joined up with Boxxer following his split with Eddie Hearn, but the results aren’t yet paying off.
Chris Billam-Smith, tonight’s opponent, will have 15,000 Bournemouth locals behind him for his long-awaited debut at the Vitality.
Billam-Smith has earned his world title shot too. Only Richard Riakporhe – who ought to face Okolie next – has beaten him, and that was by split decision in 2019. The 32-year-old was briefly stunned by a huge right hand from Armend Xhoxhaj in his last fight, before the Kosovan troubled him fighting inside from the early rounds.
That may hold the key for Okolie, who cannot afford another slow start. Against Light, it was not until the 11th round that he began to seize the initiative, a mistake he can’t afford to make again here. It’s not likely to be the most graceful viewing, but Billam-Smith can be explosive.
Retain his title, and he will eventually move up to heavyweight. First, though, and Okolie will soon get the chance to become a unified champion against Jai Opetaia – though the Australian has been a vocal critic of his recent displays.
- Date: Saturday 27 May
- Venue: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
- Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 10pm
- TV/live stream: Sky Sports Action and Sky Showcase. You can stream on SkyGo or with a NOW 24-hour pass, which costs £11.99. Coverage starts from 7pm
- Undercard highlights: Mikael Lawal defends his British cruiserweight title against Isaac Chamberlain, who went the distance with Billam-Smith but was beaten on points in his last outing
- i predicts: Okolie may have loosened up since working with Steward and he’s the obvious favourite. We think Billam-Smith is stopped in the later rounds but it’s by no means a certainty and CBS to win on points is at decent odds.
Full card:
- Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith
- Mikael Lawal vs Isaac Chamberlain
- Sam Eggington vs Joe Pigford
- Lee Cutler vs Stanley Stannard
- Karriss Artingstall vs Jade Taylor
- Tommy Welch vs Amine Boucetta
- Michael McKinson vs Lebin Morales
- Lewis Edmondson vs Vladimir Belujsky
- Mace Ruegg vs Dean Dodge
Billam-Smith: ‘Trash-talking is not how I was brought up’
This is an extract of James Gray’s interview with Chris Billam-Smith
There are many unwritten rules in boxing that go far beyond those to which the Marquess of Queensberry gave his name.
One is the code of silence around sparring, with it seen as a breach to discuss the outcome of sessions for fear of being exorcised from the tight-knit community.
Increasingly, though, in the trash-talking era, it has become de rigeur to claim to have knocked someone out or been swapped out in sparring – but you will not hear much of that from Chris Billam-Smith.
“The Gentleman” has always preferred to do his talking with his hands where he can.
“Maybe I’d get paid more if I trash-talked, but I like to keep my integrity,” Billam-Smith tells i.
“It’s just the way I was brought up. [I had] a good father and a good mother, so I’ve always tried to be as polite as I can.
“It’s sometimes difficult in this sport, but I’ve always sort of lived by that.”
Lopez vs Conlan
Michael Conlan has vowed to seek revenge for Irish boxing after Katie Taylor’s defeat to Chantelle Cameron last weekend, but his own priority has to be his second shot at a world title.
The featherweight has won twice in Belfast since his famous late defeat to Leigh Wood, in which he was knocked out of the ring in the 12th round.
Had history been written differently, it might have been Conlan facing Lara tonight; instead he gets another chance to win a major belt against IBF champion Luis Alberto Lopez.
“I want to show that I am a true champion,” Lopez said.
“I’ve always been the ‘B side’ throughout my entire career, beating prospects. Now as a world champion I’m going to do more of the same. I want to finish Michael Conlan and then face the other world champions.”
- Date: Saturday 27 May
- Venue: SSE Arena, Belfast
- Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 10pm
- TV/live stream: BT Sport 1. You can also stream on the BT Sport app or on the website.
- Undercard highlights: British featherweight Nick Ball defends his WBC Silver title and his unbeaten record against Ludumo Lamati while at super-featherweight Anthony Cacace defends his IBO belt against Damian Wrzesinski.
Nine-time Irish champion Pierce O’Leary defends his WBC international super-lightweight title against Alin Ciorceri - i predicts: Conlan to win by TKO rounds 8-10
Full card:
- Luis Alberto Lopez vs Michael Conlan
- Nick Ball vs Ludumo Lamati
- Anthony Cacace vs Damian Wrzesinski
- Conor Quinn vs Juan Hinostroza
- Padraig McCrory vs Diego Ramirez
- Pierce O’Leary vs Alin Ciorceri
- William Hayden vs Jordan Ellison
- Kieran Molloy vs Lesther Espino
- Fearghus Quinn vs Ruben Angulo
- Kurt Walker vs Maicol Velazco
- James Freeman vs Jordan Grannum
- Callum Thompson vs Marian Istrate
Any other business
There is no new date for Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch with Liam Smith after the fight was postponed again due to Smith’s injury – Savannah Marshall will now take the headline slot.
Vasyl Lomachenko’s team will appeal against his contentious defeat by unanimous decision to undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney. The Ukrainian thought he had done enough to sway it in the later rounds but his manager accused the officials of “daylight robbery”.
Chantelle Cameron has said she’ll accept a rematch against Katie Taylor, but this time will insist on being treated as reigning super-lightweight champion. Despite Taylor being the challenger, she was given the second ring walk in Dublin and the fight was billed as “Taylor vs Cameron”.
Josh Taylor will pay tribute to the legendary Ken Buchanan with tartan shorts and a robe when he fights Teofimo Lopez in New York next month.
Demsey McKean’s manager claims the Australian heavyweight is in talks to fight Tyson Fury Down Under. Try to contain your excitement.
Rumours that Kell Brook could come out of retirement to fight Conor Benn are swirling after their ringside clash at Taylor vs Cameron. Brook has been open about his struggles since hanging up his gloves but as it stands there are simply too many hurdles to make the Benn fight happen. The situation hasn’t changed and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) won’t sanction it and has threatened action against any fighter who takes on Benn abroad.
Joseph Parker knocked out Faiga Opelu in midweek, with Fury watching at ringside.
