Michael Conlan was minutes away from victory when Leigh Wood came from behind to knock the Irishman through the ropes and out of the ring in the 12th round in Nottingham, England.
Conlan was up 104-103 x2 and 105-102 on each of the judges’ scorecards heading into the final round and it was sheer brilliance from Wood to find the right combinations to defend his WBA regular featherweight title.
The biggest talking point from the fight is Wood’s knockout of Conlan which rocked the global boxing community, regarding the Irishman’s well-being.
Across twitter journalists, boxers and fans were sending their best wishes for Conlan who was being treated by paramedics and later taken to hospital. The finish was impressive from Wood and while the Brit was excited about the victory, celebrations were put on hold.
Conlan has since tweeted saying that he has recovered but is now calling for a rematch with Wood. Having been up on the scorecards and with a controversial knockdown, meaning Conlan was down 10-8 in the 11th round, there will be plenty of fans wanting to see the pair run it back.
Im all good folks, cheers for the messages. Ill be back, good shot and congrats to Leigh and his team.
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) March 13, 2022
Definitely want a rematch lol
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) March 13, 2022
Watched the fight, I definitely need to run it back! Up on the cards & 11th was a slip, fatigue was kicking in & I was caught on the temple with a good shot I didn’t see. Respect @itsLeighWood congrats again, your a tough fucker 🤣 but let’s run it back @EddieHearn #CityGround
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) March 13, 2022
It will be interesting to see whether Wood and promoter Eddie Hearn are willing to give the Irishman another chance at claiming a world title straight away or if Conlan will have to work his way back into contention.
Now, Conlan will be looking towards recovery and eventually returning to training following the first loss of his professional career.
