JEFF POWELL: Leigh Wood's gamble paid off as he beat Mauricio Lara on Saturday night
Daily Mail In casino parlance Leigh Wood went all in by risking an immediate rematch against Mauricio Lara and going ahead with Saturday nights world title fight even though the man who flattened him three months earlier had banked extra chips by scaling way over the featherweight limit.
Yowza, yowza, yowza. He hit the jackpot.
Woods immediate prize for out-foxing as well as out-boxing Lara in a delighted Manchester Arena is a choice between living his dream by fighting in Nottingham Forests City Ground or bidding for legendary status in a championship unification battle against an even more dangerous Mexican.
Hopefully both in his next two outings.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has earmarked Woods home-town football stadium for a Brit-bash with Josh Warrington, probably in September.
Meanwhile Luis Alberto Lopez, having blasted the over-reaching Michael Conlan into oblivion in Belfast this same Saturday evening, is vowing to add the rest of the featherweight belts to his IBF title. Woods regained WBA crown included, whenever he is ready.
