Trainer Ben Davison maintains that Mauricio Lara needs to be in fear of Leigh Wood because he’s the “danger-man” going into this Saturday’s fight between them at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England.
Boxing fans and the oddsmakers have a different view from Davison, feeling that it’s the 34-year-old Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) who should be worried about getting battered & beaten by the huge puncher Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) in this fight.
Wood is making his first defense as the full WBA featherweight title holder, and he’s coming off a horrible war against Michael Conlan from last March.
As Lara believes, Wood could be “damaged” from that fight because the punishment that he took in that fight is the kind that you don’t shake off and come back from as the same spring chicken you were before.
That’s another problem. Wood isn’t young at 34, and he’s getting up there in age, and he might show his age against the young 24-year-old Lara, who is now in the prime of his career and very dangerous.
Lara can’t be reckless
“Styles make fights more than levels. Leigh Wood has been written off numerous times in his career when he lost for the British title early on, when he lost for the Golden Contract, when he was boxing Can Xu, when he was boxing Michael Conlan, and everytime, he came back better and stronger,” said Ben Davison during today’s final press conference for the Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara fight this Saturday night.
“He rose to the challenge, and that’s when you see the best of Leigh Wood. As you said there, a fight where he’s a heavy favorite in, you won’t see the best from Leigh Wood.
“As I said, styles make fights. Mauricio Lara is a very brave fighter, a very dangerous fighter, but in the midst of chaos, I think you can’t be as reckless as he is against a puncher like Leigh Wood.
“He does,” said Davison about his belief that Wood has the type of power where he can take you out immediately. “Leigh, by far, there’s no doubt in my mind who the bigger puncher is but that’s not always how it plays out in a fight. Who punches harder is not always how it plays out in a fight.
Mauricio Lara needs to fear Wood
“Leigh is very well drilled, very well prepared, and he knows exactly what he needs to do. We’ll have the intelligence and the IQ and the opportunities to favor him in the fight and for him to execute what he needs to end the fight.
“Fear has nothing to do with Leigh’s mindset going into this fight,” said Davison. “We’re very confident, Leigh is very confident, and if anything, Mauricio Lara needs to be worried and fear Leigh Wood because he’ll be the one that comes out victorious, and he’s the danger man in the fight.”
