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Wood vs. Lara & Undercard
Final Press Conference Quotes
Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:
"The WBA World Featherweight Title. The Super WBA World
Featherweight Title. Leigh Wood against Mauricio Lara this
Saturday live on DAZN around the world from the Motorpoint
Arena Nottingham. What a fight we have here. Someone asked
me earlier, what gives me a big fight feeling? Driving up
the M1 excited, thinking about what might happen on Saturday
night. Thinking about the atmosphere, thinking about the
great nights we've experienced in this arena. Carl Froch
beating Lucian Bute, Leigh Wood beating Michael Conlan.
Honestly on Saturday night I think we're going to get the
best we've ever seen in this city. This is a tremendous
fight to bring to the UK and we're so proud of Leigh Wood
the champion for accepting this challenge as the champion.
The first time you've seen an underdog in his home city take
a voluntary defence. Him and his trainer Ben Davison they
see something, they see an opportunity to become the daddy
of the division on Saturday night. For me this is to
determine the number one fighter in the 126lbs division.
There's going to be drama, there's going to be excitement
and there's going to be plenty of violence. We cannot wait."
Leigh Wood – Gedling, England – 26-2, 16 KOs – defending his
WBA Featherweight World Title against Mauricio Lara:
“It has been a long journey to get here. I was that little
kid trying to get a slot of the Froch undercards. I’ve come
a long way since then. There’s nothing that’s going to beat
me on Saturday night, nothing at all. There’s nothing that
he can bring that I’m not prepared for. He’s ready for war
but I’m ready for a smart tactical knockout. I think the
underdog mentality going into a fight does help a little bit
but it’s more about having that danger. With the Can Xu
fight it was punches and output. There’s a bit of that fear
factor to get me up for the fight. The Conlan fight, he was
a southpaw, bearing in mind before then I’d only boxed one
in my career. He’s very skilful and has a massive amateur
pedigree. So there was that factor as well. This fight it’s
a new approach but a similar kind of thing. We’ve got the
fear factor – he can punch and he’s dangerous. Whichever way
this fight goes I’m prepared for it. The underdog mentality,
not only do I strive on but I kind of need it. It’s going to
be special. It’s going to be a wolf pit. It’s going to be a
cauldron, very hostile. Massive thank you to everyone from
Nottingham. It's going to be a great atmosphere so thanks
for getting behind me. Every time I get in the ring I put it
all on the line, every single drop of me is going into this
fight - whatever I have to do. Whatever it takes, if I have
to pick myself up I'll pick myself up. I've shown in my last
fight I'm resilient, I can punch, I'm fit and I'm headstrong
which is the most important thing in boxing. That mental
capacity of not deciding to give up."
Ben Davison, trainer of Leigh Wood:
“Styles make fights, more than levels. Leigh Wood has been
written off numerous times throughout his career. When he
lost for the British Title early on, when he lost in the
Golden Contract, when he was boxing Can Xu, when he was
boxing Michael Conlan. Every time he’s come back better and
stronger and risen to the challenge. That’s when you see the
best of Leigh Wood. You won’t see the best of Leigh in a
fight that he’s the heavy favourite in. Mauricio Lara is a
very brave fighter and a very dangerous fighter. In the mist
of chaos lies opportunity and I believe that you can’t be as
reckless as he is against a puncher like Leigh Wood. There
is no doubt in my mind who the bigger puncher is. That’s not
how it always plays out in a fight. Leigh is very well
drilled and well prepared. He knows exactly what he needs to
do and will have the intelligence and the IQ to create the
opportunities and scenarios that favour him in the fight for
him to execute what he needs to execute to end the fight.
Fear is not anything to do with Leigh’s mindset going into
this fight. We’re very confident, Leigh’s very confident. If
anything, Mauricio Lara needs to be worrying and fearful of
Leigh Wood because he’ll be the one that comes out
victorious and he’s the dangerman in the fight.”
Mauricio Lara – Mexico City, Mexico – 25-2-1, 18 KOs –
challenging Leigh Wood for his WBA Featherweight World
Title:
“Hello to everyone here, I hope you’re all well. I’m feeling
really happy. When opportunities come around I take them
with both hands and I’m convinced that I will win. I’m not
disrespecting him in anyway but I just know the capability
of ‘Bronco’ Lara who will go on to win the World Title. I’ve
prepared better than ever and I’ve prepared not for a fight,
but for a war and I’m prepared to leave absolutely
everything in there. I’ve prepared as well as I possibly
can. I feel like this is almost my second home. This will
definitely not go to the scorecards I can tell you that. I
feel like I’ve been supported on the social media platforms
and I’m going to give absolutely everything on Saturday.”
Alejandro Brito, manager of Mauricio Lara:
“First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Eddie for
the opportunity. We also have to thank Leigh Wood’s team for
this opportunity. He’s now just two days away from becoming
World Champion. It has been a dream that he has had for a
long time, we hoped that he’d do it against Josh Warrington,
unfortunately that fight wasn’t for a World Title in the
end. I’m totally convinced now that through all the hard
work and suffering he has gone through that he’s going to
become World Champion on Saturday night. I met Mauricio a
little over six years ago and he always said it was a dream
to become World Champion. He always wanted his name to be
recognised in Mexico and around the world and now he’s just
two days away from this. We’re really confident and really
motivated, not just us but every back home in Mexico. They
believe he will become World Champion.”
Dalton Smith – Sheffield, England – 13-0, 10 KOs – making
the second defence of his British Super-Lightweight Title
against Billy Allington:
“I don’t overlook anybody and I know Billy is coming with
big intentions. I’ve heard it in my previous fights with
people thinking I’m overlooking opponents. Believe me, I
don’t do that. I just focus on the job in front of me and
that’s the fight on Saturday night. I’ve got to turn up, be
100% and get the job done in style. We’re probably going to
see the very best version of Billy. It’s a big opportunity
for him and he’s coming to try and upset the odds. I’m not
going to let that happen. I’m fully focused. I’ve had a good
camp. I just keep on improving and improving with every
fight. I feel like I’m turning into a good solid young man
now. I just can’t wait to show you all on Saturday night.
It’s going to be unbelievable and the support for me is
getting bigger and bigger. I was here for my debut on
Leigh’s undercard back in 2019. It’s a great sporting city
and they always come out in their numbers. I can’t wait to
be on that ramp walking down. I’m sure the atmosphere is
going to be great.”
Billy Allington – Egham, England – 10-1-4 – challenging
Dalton Smith for his British Super-Lightweight Title:
“Firstly I want to say thank you. I’m very grateful for the
opportunity to be here. I’ve got a lot of people that want
to see me do well and that’s a blessing in itself. I’m very
well prepared. I’ve earnt my stripes by becoming English
Champion, Southern Area Champion on the small hall shows.
I’m excited to be here and challenge myself to be the best
that I can be. I’ve got a great team and I’m very grateful
for that as well. The magnitude of this event is very
exciting. If you’d have asked me when I was a 13-year-old
boy if I’d make it to where I am now I’d have probably said,
‘I don’t know’. I’m ready to take my opportunity on Saturday
with both hands and become the new British Champion. It’s an
honour to fight for the title and I’m more than capable of
upsetting the odds here. I believe in myself, my team
believe in me and this is why we’re here. We’re here for a
reason. Dalton is a good fighter, I’m not going to say he
isn’t, but as a champion we want to fight other champions
and challenge ourselves to get the best out of ourselves.
That’s how we grow as humans. I’ve got about 100 people
coming up to watch me and that touches me as well. Let’s
have a good night Saturday.”
Gary Cully – Naas, Ireland – 15-0, 9 KOs – fighting Wilfredo
Flores for the vacant WBA Intercontinental Lightweight
Title:
“I’ve been gaining a lot of momentum. I’m here and I’m back
in Nottingham, it’s good vibes for me. I was here last year
fighting Miguel Vazquez – 2022 was kind of my breakout year
but I feel like I’ve been putting in performances like that
over the past five years of my career. I’ve fought
undefeated guys, I’ve had my step ups, I’ve fought my former
World Champions and all of this. I believe it’s a big step
up for Wilfredo Flores and he’s going to be out of his depth
on Saturday night. Too good, too big and too strong. 2023 is
my year. There’s lots of talk about going back to Ireland
and fighting back at home. It’s been a dream of mine to
fight back in Ireland ever since I was a kid so I’ve been
using that as massive motivation for this camp and to push
that little bit harder. There’s some big fights coming at
the back end of 2023 for me if I get through Saturday night.
I come to bring excitement and entertainment every time I
fight. I just heard Chev Clarke say he doesn’t go in there
to knock people out he goes in there to box, but I come in
to take your head off and it’s going to be no different on
Saturday night. No disrespect to Wilfredo Flores but I
believe I’m on a different level and I’m coming in there to
take his head off on Saturday night.”
Wilfredo Flores – Dunkirk, USA – 10-0-1, 5 KOs – fighting
Gary Cully for the vacant WBA Intercontinental Lightweight
Title:
“Thank you for the opportunity I’m very excited. Hopefully I
can come away with the victory and come away with some fans
in the UK. This is my opportunity to showcase myself and who
I am to the world. I’m looking forward to it. This is an
opportunity that comes with working hard. I have good work
ethic and it’s embedded in me to continue to progress and
showcase my hard work. I expect Gary to be well prepared and
ready to go to war. I certainly am. This is a sport. We’re
both very competitive fighters and I’m sure we’re going to
steal the show this Saturday night.”
Cheavon Clarke – Gravesend, England – 4-0, 4 KOs – fighting
Israel Duffus in a ten round International Cruiserweight
contest:
“First and foremost I’d like to mention Dec Spellman. It’s
really bad for him not being able to provide for his family
doing something that he’s always done. I’ve got a tough
opponent on Saturday and I’m looking forward to putting on a
show. I don’t go out there trying to stop people. I go out
there and I try to box. When the opportunities come I take
them. If you guys think that’s exciting, I’ll just keep on
doing what I’m doing. There’s plenty of good fights out
there for me.”
Israel Duffus – San Miguelito, Panama – 20-8, 17 KOs –
fighting Cheavon Clarke in a ten round International
Cruiserweight contest:
"Thank you for the opportunity. I always try to keep in
shape – you never know when the opportunity is going to
come. This is one of those cases. Cheavon’s amateur career
looks very impressive but he’s in the professional code now
and it’s not the same. Amateur and professional are two
different things. I also had the opportunity back in 2012
and 2008 in the Olympics. Now we’re in the professionals.
I’m really happy for this."
Gamal Yafai – Birmingham, England – 19-2, 11 KOs – fighting
Diego Alberto Ruiz in a ten round International
Super-Bantamweight contest:
“I’m looking forward to getting in there a doing the job.
I’ve enjoyed the move to Jamie Moore’s gym, it has been
good. I feel like I’ve got some structure now in my life.
I’m looking forward to showing that on Saturday night. Get
Saturday night sorted and I want to push towards the world
level again.”
Aaron Bowen – Coventry, England – Professional Debut –
fighting Mathieu Gomes in a six round International
Middleweight contest:
“I’m looking forward to my professional debut. This is
obviously where I want to be. I’ve got a big following and
with big fights I think even more people can get behind me.
I feel like my fights in the amateurs have given me great
experience. This is a big stage and it’s a little bit
different but the pressure that I experience boxing in the
Commonwealth Games, boxing for GB travelling the world, I’ve
sort of been there now so it’s given me that little stepping
stone. This isn’t too far out of my comfort zone and at the
end of the day it’s just a rig. I feel like it’s done me
good. I come to fight from the first bell until the last. I
will be looking for the knockout but I’ll get the job done
first.”
Junaid Bostan – Rotherham, England – 4-0, 4 KOs – fighting
Peter Kramer in an eight round International
Super-Welterweight contest:
“It’s my first eight-rounder. Whether it goes eight rounds
is a completely different thing. I’m looking to do a number
of this guy and carry on progressing in my career. Funnily
enough I wasn’t known as the biggest puncher in the
amateurs, but now I’ve turned over I’m knocking everyone
out. I’m not complaining. It isn’t deliberate but you don’t
get paid for overtime so if you can get them out of there
then why not. If you don’t ask you don’t get, so I’ve got to
ask about getting on these big shows.”
Kieron Conway – Northampton, England – 18-3-1, 4 KOs –
fighting Jorge Silva in an eight round International
Super-Middleweight contest:
“It’s good to be on a card so early in the year. I need to
put my foot on the gas and get my career back on track. I
want to use this year to rebuild. I want to keep all of my
fights here in the UK. I want to win a British Title, I
don’t care who’s got that. I want to go and win that next
and move back on to the world scene after that. I’ve beat
high level opposition and I’ve been around high-level
opposition. I’m just sick of being known as this nice guy in
and out the ring, now I’m coming here to destroy and bring
knockouts to the table.”
Sam Maxwell – Liverpool, England – 16-1, 11 KOs – fighting
Shaun Cooper in a six round Super-Lightweight contest:
“I’ve got a job to do on Saturday. Get through that and
let’s see what we can do after. Dalton Smith is a fight I’m
interested in and that’s the fight I want. Touch wood we
both come through on Saturday and we can get it on."
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