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Mauricio Lara vs. Leigh Wood 2: Preview, Prediction & Betting Odds

Thursday May 25 2023, 5:30 pm UTC
6 min read
by Abraham Gonzalez

One of the most anticipated rematches this year takes place live on DAZN this Saturday. WBA featherweight champion Mauricio ‘Bronco’ Lara (26-2-1, 19 KOs) will again meet Leigh Wood (26-3, 16 KOs) in a fight that guarantees action. The boxing world tuned in when they met in February and were not disappointed with the fight between the two featherweights. Will it be a repeat or revenge?

MAURICIO LARA IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF BIGGER FIGHTS & PAYDAYS

BRONCO IS COMING 🇲🇽😤 @bronco_lara pic.twitter.com/MedD6Tqosg
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 24, 2023

For Lara, a pot of gold awaits him at the end of the rainbow, but Wood comes in between him and career-high paydays before he can get to it. Lara is a tough 25-year-old featherweight champion who is somewhat of a road warrior and loves to go to other people’s backyards to pull off a victory that no one expects him to get. It was February 2021 when Lara stepped into the Wembley Arena and stopped Josh Warrington (31-2-1, 8 KOs) in the ninth round of their fight. That was the night the legend of Lara began, and now he is a WBA champion after beating Wood in February.

Lara should do nothing different in this fight, which means drawing Wood into a reckless slugfest. He was having trouble with Wood when he couldn’t get inside or at least to mid-range. Lara has to believe he will have difficulty securing a decision, so some risk must be taken to score another knockout or stoppage victory. Cutting the ring off early and working the body will wear Wood down and will have him ready to be attacked in the later rounds. Can Lara force Wood into a slugfest and set up a combination that will knock Wood out before the fight goes the distance?

LEIGH WOOD MUST NOT LET HIS EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF HIM

Win at all costs 😡 @itsLeighWood #LaraWood2 live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/NyD7hY0iPJ
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 24, 2023

Let’s face it; Wood was embarrassed by Lara in their last fight. Although contested at first by those watching, Ben Davidson saved Wood from a brutal knockout and set him up to be able to fight on Saturday. It was the popular decision, but as a trainer, sometimes you have to save the fighter from themselves. Wood was not in a good place, and if he watched it back, he had to ask himself why he was in the position. It’s simple; Wood allowed his emotions to get the best of him, which played right into Lara’s game plan.

In this fight, Lara needs to use his reach advantage to keep Lara outside of mid-range. Yes, it may lead to the fight having less sizzle than the first, but if Wood wants his belt back, he must do this. Wood must also find ways to hold if ‘Bronco’ Lara gets too close strategically. Wood has to keep the exchanges to a minimum when close and use the left jab to keep Lara away. If Wood can have some good ring awareness and not allow himself to get sucked into Lara’s plan, he should be able to come out with a decision victory.

MAURICIO LARA VS. LEIGH WOOD 2 PREDICTION

Although many thought Wood was winning the war, he was sucked into a battle of who the tougher man was in the ring. You cannot unteach that, and although he won’t succumb to that early in the fight, the war will play out later in the fight, and Lara will catch Wood again, leading to an eighth-round TKO victory for the 25-year-old WBA featherweight champion.

MAURICIO LARA VS. LEIGH WOOD 2 BETTING ODDS

Per BetOnline.ag, Mauricio Lara is the favorite at -300 & -140 Under 8 ½ rounds. Leigh Wood is the underdog at +240 & over 8 ½ rounds +110.

Mauricio Lara: Decision +800; TKO/KO -260

Draw: +1400

Leigh Wood: Decision +450; TKO/KO +750

Round Group Betting