Michael Conlan says the biggest fight out there for Leigh Wood is a rematch of their classic clash in March.
Fighting in front of his home fans at the Nottingham Arena Wood knocked Conlan out in a dramatic 12th round ending having been dropped himself in round one. It was the first defence of the WBA Regular Featherweight title which the 33-year-old won against Can Xu, again in the final stanza, one
year ago.
Speaking to Irish-Boxing.com Conlan believes Wood will next fight WBA ‘Super’ Featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz
“I done everything possible to make that rematch happen, but the situation has come up with Santa Cruz and it looks like that fight is going to happen, it’s going to purse bids.
“He says he wants to have bigger fights than the rematch, but the rematch is the biggest fight. I know he would be willing to less money to fight a Josh Warrington or other unification fights. That’s what was said in the immediate aftermath which is dumb in my opinion.”
“We wanted the rematch, I’ve been told Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and DAZN have reached out to Top Rank about doing it in the winter. All being well with Leigh Wood will still be champion then, hopefully so, but I can understand why he wouldn’t want the rematch.”
However, for Conlan to get a second attempt at Wood that would mean his rival beating Leo Santa Cruz, on that Conlan said:
“I’ll be honest I can’t see him being champion after a Leo Santa Cruz fight,”
“If you look at our fight and ask who did that take more out of, people will say me because I got knocked out but in terms of damage, he took way more damage than me to the head, to the body, everywhere. I’d be worried about him fighting anyone next because he took that much damage.”
In the meantime, Conlan will return to the ring against Miguel Marriaga on August 6 at Belfast’s SSE Arena.