THE career of Leigh Wood has delivered many twists and turns, with each euphoric high and devastating low only adding to his deeply compelling tale.
Without experiencing a series of setbacks, the Nottingham man may have never become the fighter he is today: a widely revered operator who, in short, rarely fails to produce an awe-inspiring spectacle.
But here, instead of dissecting how he responds to adversity, Boxing News has decided to celebrate five of the 36-year-old’s greatest victories.
Ahead of his mouth-watering super-featherweight showdown with Anthony Cacace this Saturday, it is fair to say that Wood, 28-3 (17 KOs), has put together a strong, and more importantly memorable, resume.
Leigh Wood vs Reece Mould
After losing a majority decision to Jazza Dickens just under a year prior, Wood suddenly found himself under an immense degree of pressure to return to winning ways.
While his career was not exactly on the line, any future opportunities would have certainly been in short supply if he was to suffer a defeat against Reece Mould.
And yet, despite that pressure, Wood wasted little time before putting on a punishing display to floor his opponent in the fourth frame, with a scintillating finish arriving five rounds later.
In doing so, ‘Leigh-Thal’ came away with the coveted Lonsdale Belt, a prize he had been eagerly working towards his whole career.
Xu Can vs Leigh Wood
Xu, at least on British shores, was a relatively unknown entity. But while he has not exactly set the world alight since their dustup, the Chinaman nonetheless represented a physically imposing volume puncher when he and Wood collided back in 2021.
Throughout their contest, Wood displayed a superior skill set – his feet remaining both sharp and proficient – to largely negate Xu’s prolific output.
From there, it was only a matter of time before the home fighter went through the gears and, with a stunning 12th-round finish, secured his WBA featherweight title.
Later, Wood would cement his world championship status at 126lbs with a career-best victory.
Mauricio Lara vs Leigh Wood 2
Dangerous puncher Mauricio Lara had swiftly made a name for himself, with stoppage victories over Josh Warrington and Wood earning the previously little-known Mexican a formidable reputation.
But despite the crushing end to their first encounter, Wood showed no signs of vulnerability in what was a comprehensive 12-round performance.
Even with Lara hitting the scales at nearly 4lbs above the featherweight limit, the fan-friendly technician made sure to dominate their rematch from start to finish in 2023.
Not only that, but it was later revealed that his opponent had tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, making Wood’s unanimous decision victory that much more meaningful.
Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington
In his last outing against Warrington, Wood found himself in familiar territory – trailing behind on all three judges’ scorecards – before producing an emphatic seventh-round finish.
Yet it was not so much a case of him pulling a rabbit out the hat, almost as if to fluke the stunning win, back in 2023.
Rather, it was an expertly delivered right hook from Wood that shifted the momentum in his favour and, in turn, sent Warrington crashing down to the canvas.
Perhaps more notably, he became only the second fighter to halt Warrington, a former world champion known for his relentlessness and durability, as a professional.
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan
In one of the most dramatic and enthralling battles over the past few years, Wood came from behind, once again, to halt Michael Conlan in the dying embers of their fiercely contested barnburner.
After climbing off the canvas in the opening round, Wood showed the heart of a lion to not only make it into the following frame, but also keep himself in with a chance of winning.
All the while, Conlan was forced to reach deep into his tool kit – boxing with a typically seamless fluidity – to build a slight lead on the judges’ scorecards.
But it was Wood, buoyed by his Nottingham fans, who floored his crafty opponent in the 11th round, moments before sealing his remarkable stoppage with just over a minute left of their thrilling clash.
