Leigh Wood unbelievably remained the WBA featherweight champion at the Nottingham Arena, as he got up from a heavy first round knockdown to knock out Michael Conlan in the final round of an epic maiden title defence.
Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) sensationally won the title with a final round stoppage of Xu Can in the Matchroom back garden in July 2021, and Conlan (16-1, 8 KOs) was looking to fulfil his precocious amateur potential and the Irishman was coming off a points win over former world champion TJ Doheny last August.
In front of a raucous crowd, and after spine-tingling ring walks, it was down to business.
It was a lively beginning, with Conlan establishing a southpaw jab and Wood meeting him in the centre of the ring on the front foot.
The champion landed a right hand over the top that got his challenger’s respect, but right at the end of the session, a monster left hand had Wood flat on his back.
The 33-year-old beat the count but looked unsteady after his heavy fall and the minute’s rest didn’t seem likely to be long enough and another big left hand shook him to his boots at the start of the second.
Although Conlan had a nasty cut on his left eye, he couldn’t miss with his left hand, and Wood was forced to eat several flush ones during the round.
Wood survived the round, but the challenger was firing on all cylinders, his movement causing Wood all sorts of problems, although the Gedling man did have a steadier third.
Wood backed the 30-year-old to the ropes in the fourth and he closed the gap in round five, although he walked into a short right hook that seemed to buzz him momentarily.
Conlan was also targeting the body more and more, but he had to take a few body shots of his own in the sixth, although he was largely having the last word in all of the arguments.
Wood had a decent seventh and the pair exchanged wildly at the end of the frame with round eight seeing two big lefts from Conlan land, but again Wood showed plenty of heart and he was making the fight a contest.
Wood took a painful body shot in the tenth, but fought back bravely and wasn’t giving his belt up without a fight, landing with meaty blows in his best round to date.
Conlan superbly went through the gears in the penultimate frame, landing with huge shots, but he then sensationally hit the deck, slipping backwards on the end of a left hook.
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The final round was another thriller and an inspired Wood unbelievably switched the lights out on Conlan, seemingly with a short right hand high on the head, knocking the Belfast man through the ropes, and Conlan remained out of the ring for some time.
There was great concern as Conlan lay out of the ring and Wood’s celebrations were understandably muted ones.
Matchroom Boxing CEO, Frank Smith confirmed post-fight that Conlan was “conscious and stable” after being taken to hospital.
Agyarko overcomes Rubio
Caoimhin Agyarko (11-0, 7 KOs) defended his WBA International middleweight title, as he largely dominated his ten rounder with Juan Carlos Rubio (18-2, 9 KOs), winning via unanimous decision.
The Irishman was always one step ahead and took the victory by two scores of 100-90, and a third at 98-92.
Harper back to winning ways
Terri Harper returned after losing her world titles last time out and rebounded with a near shutout points win against Yamila Belen Abellaneda (13-5-1, 3 KOs).
Harper (12-1-1, 6 KOs) moved up to lightweight for the first time and claimed the vacant WBA Intercontinental title, overcoming a cut to put in a controlled performance to take the win by three scores of 99-91.
Cully halts Vazquez
Gary Cully took on his sternest test to date, and the Irishman came through with flying colours, scoring a stunning fifth round knockout win in his super lightweight encounter with former world champion, Miguel Vazquez.
Vazquez (44-11, 17 KOs) was down for a flash knockdown in the third from a straight Cully (14-0, 8 KOs) left hand, and he was never truly in the contest.
In the fifth, he walked onto a left hand and that left him down and unable to beat the count.
Farias edges out Ryan
Sandy Ryan had been making quick strides since turning over, but she bit off more than she could chew this time in a ten round split decision defeat to Argentina’s former two-weight world champion, Erica Anabella Farias.
Farias (27-5, 10 KOs) gave Ryan (3-1, 2 KOs) all she could handle for six rounds, although the Brit broke through with body shots in the second half.
Farias though, wouldn’t be denied, and she landed the much cleaner punches as the contest reached a thrilling conclusion.
The visitor was docked a point in the final frame for use of the head, but she still took a deserved win with scores of 97-94 and 95-94 trumping a verdict of Ryan at 97-93.
Remaining Undercard
Irish heavyweight, Thomas Carty (3-0, 2 KOs) extended his unbeaten start to professional life, as his opponent Michal Boloz (2-4-2, 2 KOs) was ruled out of action with a cut in the fifth of their six rounder.
The debut of exciting talent Nico Leivars (1-0) was a successful one, as the Mansfield-based bantamweight took a four round points win against Jose Hernandez.
It was a 40-34 winning margin, as Hernandez (4-39-1, 3 KOs) was docked a point for holding, and was dropped in the final round.
It’s been the toughest 12 months of @thomashart1995 life! Pneumonia, A cyst on his lung which we hoped wasn’t cancerous and then got meningitis.. All this in the space of the last 12-18 months! Tonight he got his career back on track! Joe Mc & Declan have been 👌 #HealthIsWealth pic.twitter.com/oR1CV4bhPh
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) March 12, 2022
Thomas Whitaker Hart (6-0, 3 KOs) opened the show, and he took just over 40 seconds to dispatch of Ben Thomas at light heavyweight.
A solid left hook to the body left Thomas (2-15-3, 1 KO) unable to beat the count.
