Leigh Wood has proven himself as a fan-favourite and a worthy featherweight world champion over the years, delivering the United Kingdom with some of its greatest fight nights in recent memory. However, ahead of his move up to super-featherweight, there is one rising star who has threatened to kill the Nottingham-born superstar.
After appearing destined to progress no further than the British/European level, victories over Reece Mould and Xu Can saw Wood well poised as WBA (Regular) champion and chasing a fight with Leo Santa Cruz.
The one stumbling block between he and the Mexican was Ireland’s Michael Conlan and in March 2022 the pair went to war in an instant classic that won the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year award – a remarkable final-round knockout for Wood whilst behind on the cards being cemented as one of the most dramatic moments in British boxing.
Shortly afterwards, Wood was upgraded to full world champion due to Santa Cruz’s struggles to make the weight limit and ‘Leighthal’ agreed to an eyebrow-raising voluntary defence of his new belt against fearsome Mexican Mauricio Lara – fabled for his demolition of Josh Warrington.
As many feared, Wood suffered a damning knockout defeat, although he was able to reclaim his belt in his rematch with ‘Bronco’ just three months later.
Finally, and most recently, Wood once again proved his grit and determination with another knockout whilst behind on the scorecards against Josh Warrington, before vacating his world title later the same month.
Now Wood seems set to make the jump up to 130lbs and a mount a challenge to become a two-weight world champion. Although, 22-year-old recent Queensberry signing Jadier Herrera (15-0) told iFL TV that he wants the opportunity to welcome Wood to the division and to ‘destroy his life’.
🇨🇺Jadier Herrera threatening to kill Leigh Wood
The Cuban is back on Saturday in Liverpool on the Ball vs Rios undercard pic.twitter.com/pp0xEB1Rd7
— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) September 30, 2024
“I am ready for Leigh Wood. Send me a contract bro, I will f***ing kill you.”
“I will f***ing destroy your life, bro. I will f***ing destroy your everything, bro. Send me a contract.
“F**k you, bro [Wood]. Let’s go, listen, look at me, remember my f***ing name, bro. Remember my f**ing name. My name is Jadier Herrera Montero, bro. The name is Juan Villain.”
“Follow me, I will f***ing destroy your life, one hundred percent, bro.
“I fear nothing, you understand me? You get me? Motherf***er. F**k you, bro.”
After fighting regularly in Dubai, undefeated Cuban Herrera scored a 13th knockout win in his 15th contest when he debuted under Frank Warren’s promotion back in June. registering a first-round victory against Andres Navarrete in Belfast.
Now sitting at #15 with the WBC, Herrera will look to further climb the rankings when he fights Oliver Flores (31-5-2) on the Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios card in Liverpool on Saturday night.
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