Leigh Wood regains featherweight title with victory over Mauricio Lara

Leigh Wood regained his WBA featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Mauricio Lara in Manchester.

The fight was scored 118-109, 116-111, 118-109 in Wood’s favour after he turned in a disciplined performance to nullify the best of the threats Lara had to offer.

Lara boasted a four-pound advantage after Friday’s dramatic weigh-in, when he failed to make the nine-stone limit and was stripped of his belt, with Wood opting to take the fight anyway.

The Nottingham fighter made the most of that decision as he had Lara on the canvas in only the second round with a right uppercut and stayed on the attack, despite Lara managing to open up a cut above his left eye in the fourth round.

Lara, behind on the cards, continued to target that eye but Wood kept dancing and was in control as Lara struggled to make anything pay.

Wood struck the Mexican with a powerful left hook which left him wobbling in the 11th and it was effectively beyond doubt by that point, with Wood jumping onto the ropes to celebrate even before the judges confirmed his victory.