IT’S been nearly one year since Leigh Wood last fought.
October 7 at the Sheffield Arena produced one of the best fights of 2023 when Wood produced a come from behind victory against Josh Warrington. The seventh round stoppage was yet another spectacular win for the Nottingham fighter who retained his WBA Featherweight title.
Things have gone quiet since then for Wood. Today, Boxing News spoke with the 36-year-old to get an update on all things ‘Leigh-thal’.
“I’m eager to know what’s happening as well,” he said.
“I’m not signed with anyone at the minute.”
The free agent has had conversations with interested parties but the former Matchroom fighter and world featherweight champion is without a promotional deal. An undisclosed injury had kept him out for a four-month period but Wood is back training and eager to fight again.
“I thought I was going to have a run out before the end of the year, but it doesn’t look like that’s possible now,” he said. “But never say never, I’m in the gym and training. Staying ready for an opportunity just in case. My eyes are firmly on Saturday night with Warrington and Cacace. I’d like the winner.”
Which brought us perfectly on to the next question. Who wins between the two on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium. Warrington has joined Wood at super-featherweight but it’s the Leeds fighter who will get a shot first at becoming a two-weight world champion when he takes on Belfast’s Cacace in a non-title bout after the IBF refused to sanction Warrington as a challenger for the champion’s 130lbs world title.
Wood may be 100 per cent certain he wants to face the winner but he is unsure who exactly that will be on Saturday night.
“I don’t know what kind of preparation each are doing. But I know what Warrington brings. I know he’s a hard night, he’s never been an easy night for anyone,” Wood said.
“You know what he brings and you can never write him off. Cacace looked well in his last fight, but can he maintain it? Can he keep bringing them performances? We don’t know. I don’t know how he lives.
“I’d probably slightly lean to Cacace, but I’d never write Warrington off.”
Wood and Warrington have exchanged some unfriendly fire since their fight in Sheffield. Warrington started well on the night but the punch power was with Wood and proved as much when he put his shots together to drop the Yorkshireman in round seven. An unsteady Warrington returned to his corner with his back turned to referee Michael Alexander who had began his count. When Warrington failed to turn around in time the fight was waved off.
“There was a tiny bit of controversy in people’s eyes, not my own,” Wood said. “But I’d like to do it again, especially if he’s coming off a big win. But again, Cacace would be coming off two good wins as well, which would make a great fight. On the run I’ve been on and the little run he’s been on it would make a good fight.”
