Conlan-Wood Rematch Rumour Quashed

Michael Conlan–Leigh Wood rematch rumour has been quashed by confirmation the Nottingham fighter’s clash with Mauricio Lara will be rescheduled for later this year.

Irish fight fans got excited upon hearing the WBA regular featherweight champion and the Mexican wouldn’t fight on September 24th as initially planned.

A rumour suggesting Wood, who handed the Irish star his first defeat in March of this year, had pulled out to explore a Conlan repeat later this year, quickly spread.

It was suggested the Ben Davidson trained fighter had listened to the Olympic medal winner’s ‘silly fight’ warning and was ready to make the more lucrative bout.

However, that rumour was quickly proven to be the Chinese kind, as it’s since been confirmed the fight is postponed rather than cancelled.

Wood has been forced out of a September clash by injury rather than any desire to open talks with Team Conlan.

Speaking previously Conlan argued the Lara fight is ‘pointless’ as well as ‘dangerous’ and a lot less lucrative than a rematch with him.

The Olympic medal winner claims it’s a bad business move but one he doesn’t think the Nottingham fighter has made himself.

The top Top Rank talent believes coach Ben Davidson, who the Conlan’s, Jamie and Mick, enjoyed some verbal sparring with in the build-up to the original fight, advised against the rematch – and did so for personal reasons.

“I was told his coach said he didn’t want to give us the rematch because ‘they disrespected me’, on about me and my brother in the build-up to the last fight,” Conlan told Boxing Social.

“So if his coach’s ego has got in the way of him earning a few million then it’s silly.

“He’d probably get more than double for fighting me in a rematch, so I don’t understand it. It’s a crazy choice but fair play to him for taking it. I just don’t think he’s clued in business wise. He is on about setting his family up and having big meaningful fights, the rematch is more meaningful and bigger than the Lara fight. The rematch is an awful lot more money, so he’s probably done himself out of a few million. I don’t think it’s solely his choice, I think it’s more so his coach’s ego in a way.”