Wood vs Lara 2 Odds: Preview, Predictions & Betting Tips For The Big Fight
Wood vs Lara Predictions:
- Over 8.5 Rounds - Evens With William Hill
- Lara To Win By KO, TKO Or DQ - 4/7 With Ladbrokes
- Wood To Win By Decision - 9/2 With Bet365
Leigh Wood will bid to regain the WBA featherweight belt when he takes on Mauricio Lara in an eagerly anticipated rematch on Saturday.
Betting sites make the Nottingham native a 12/5 underdog after he suffered an agonising defeat to Lara in February.
Wood had built up a healthy lead with the ringside judges at the halfway stage of the fight, and he appeared to be on course for a routine defence of his title.
However, that all changed when Lara floored him with a vicious left hook towards the end of the seventh round, and Wood’s trainer decided to throw in the towel.
He has now had a few months to lick his wounds and recuperate, and he will try to recapture his belt at AO Arena in Manchester this weekend.
Can Wood Avoid Lara’s Power Punches?
Wood proved that he has a formidable engine when he clinched a stunning 12th round knockout victory over unbeaten featherweight Michael Conlan in March 2022.
Leigh was behind on all three scorecards, having been battered from pillar to post throughout the fight, but he dug deep to put his opponent to the sword with just 1:35 left on the clock.
The Ring named it Fight of the Year, and the magazine also handed Wood its prestigious Knockout of the Year award.
That performance made him a cult hero among boxing fans, and he carried a great deal of momentum into his showdown with Lara in February.
A partisan home crowd in Nottingham roared him on, and Wood’s tactics were almost perfect in the first six rounds.
He was hurt on a couple of occasions, but he came back swinging each time and left Lara in trouble.
However, it all changed in the seventh, when he let his defences down and aimed to put Lara’s lights out with a left hook.
Instead, he was smashed with one from his rival and he hit the deck, causing trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel and prevent any further punishment to his fighter.
It was sloppy from Wood, who admitted in a post-fight interview that he threw away the fight as a result of one costly lapse in concentration.
He has gone back to the drawing board, and he claims he is more confident of success this time around.
Wood will be extremely wary of Lara’s power, so he could exercise greater caution in the rematch, making over 8.5 rounds look like an appealing punt at Evens on the best online betting sites for boxing.
The Relentless Mexican Will Be Difficult To Handle
Lara announced himself to the world by securing a shock victory over heavy favourite Josh Warrington at Wembley in 2021, courtesy of a second-round knockout.
Their rematch ended in a technical draw after the Mexican featherweight was cut by an accidental head clash.
Since then, he has knocked out Emilio Sanchez, Jose Sanmartin and Wood to extend his record to 26-2-1.
Nineteen of his 26 wins have come by knockout, and he ultimately proved too strong for Wood when they clashed in February.
Gerardo Lopez, Lara’s father and trainer, said they are firmly focused on winning this rematch by knockout, “because if it goes the 12, they’ll hand it to him.”
In the past six years, only one man - Sergio Puente - has gone the distance with Lara, and that was a 10-round bout, which Lara won by unanimous decision.
Over 12 rounds in Manchester on Saturday, he should find a way to stop Wood once again.
If you want greater value, a bet on Lara to win in Rounds 9-12 looks very appealing at 7/2 with Ladbrokes.
Lara plans to finish Wood off quicker this time around, but Wood is unlikely to go down so easily in their rematch.
Hedge Your Bets By Backing Wood Via A Decision
It might be prudent to hedge your bets by backing Wood to win via a decision at 9/2 with Bet365.
If the fight goes to the judges’ scorecards, they are likely to hand him the victory - and not just because he will be the hometown favourite.
Wood is a more experienced fighter than Lara and he tends to throw a lot more punches than his Mexican opponent.
Had their first battle gone to a decision, he would surely have clinched the victory, so his game plan this time around will be to land lots of shots and dodge Lara’s power punches.
That is easier said than done, but if he can hang on until the end of the fight, he should regain his crown.
