After the Fight: Leigh Wood vs. Michael Conlan and boxing’s spirit

Leigh Wood vs. Michael Conlan was more than a Fight of the Year candidate. It’s representative of what’s to love about boxing. 

The March 12 championship boxing bout between Leigh Wood and Michael Conlan shocked viewers after Conlan’s unconscious body slipped through the ropes and plummeted to the canvas, but the fight transcended that stunning final moment.

The oscillating drama between Wood and Conlan embodied boxing’s greatness and why it’s a unique sport that’s 10 times more mesmerizing than any other.

Very few sports rival boxing’s brutality. Its nature possesses raw savagery not present in baseball or basketball, which is why some believe it should be outlawed.

Norman Cousin’s called for boxing’s end in his 1962 essay “Who Killed Benny Paret?” Yes, people lose their lives in boxing, yet they step into the ring despite the question of mortality.

Many would characterize boxing as barbaric and uncivilized, but it’s an art and enigmatic of life’s struggles at its best.

The war that transpired between Wood and Conlan was boxing at its best.

Several days before their matchup, Wood and Conlan spoke to the media during the final press conference. Like true warriors, both were supremely confident about their prospects.

“I’m buzzing to be here, it’s been a long hard road to get here, back in 2014 that was a terrible night,” Wood said at the press conference. “I knew the reasons behind it, and I went away and corrected it.”

Wood could have lost faith after getting stopped by Gavin McDonnell in 2014, but he never stopped loving boxing or believing in himself. Even after dropping a majority decision to Jazza Dickens, Wood carried on.

He’s a ‘Rocky’ type figure who lacked the accolades and earned, and now defended, his WBA “regular” featherweight title with self-belief and the toughness stored away in his being.

Likewise, Conlan felt assured that he would be a first-time champion.

“I’m just here to do a job, I hope Leigh has had a fantastic training camp, I hope he’s the best Leigh Wood there’s ever been because I believe I will be,” Conlan said. “It’ll make it all the sweeter when I beat him.”

Leigh Wood vs. Michael Conlan was a rare boxing bout that contains the perfect mixture of emotions and drama to be one of the great ones

Conlan nearly accomplished his goal. He came within one minute and 35 seconds of realizing a lifelong dream, but boxing’s array of fates had a different plan for Conlan, which could be a tragedy or a blessing based on your perspective.

People perceive Conlan as more of a boxer than a power puncher, but he looked like a bruiser after flooring Wood in the final seconds of round 1. Even if you pegged Conlan to win, a round 1 stoppage was almost unfathomable.

Wood survived but looked suspect in round 2. Conlan tried his best to end Wood, but Wood’s chin, determination, and boxing knowledge allowed him to persevere.

Round after round, Conlan found Wood’s face with his looping left hand. Conlan added to his tally on the judges’ scorecards until Wood decided to take chances.

Wood seemed to know that his title was slipping away and resolved to go for the knockout at the risk of being laid out himself.

A fighter with less courage might have lost their title the safe way, but Wood didn’t become a champion by playing it safe. He took a risky step up to challenge Xu Can to earn the belt in 2021 and trusted his instincts against Conlan.

Once again, it paid off for Wood.

On the other end, Conlan’s quest to become a champion was within his grasp. A life devoted to boxing earned Conlan a 2015 world amateur championship and a 2016 Olympic Bronze medal.

Conlan needed one more accolade to conquer his planned dreams fully. However, life rarely goes according to our best-laid plans.

Conlan once conceded to FanSided that he briefly fell out of love with boxing.

“It was probably a fair thing to say that my mind was stagnated a bit with the repetitiveness because since I’ve turned pro, I’ve been in training camp the whole time,” Conlan told FanSided more than a year ago.

Later, he credited time off during the pandemic for rekindling his love for boxing, and it showed against Wood. He outboxed Wood for most of their battle, but one punch changed everything.

Wood out-willed Conlan to a beautifully horrifying round 12 knockout. The judges’ scorecards entering round 12 showed that Conlan needed to win round 12 to become champion, but Wood didn’t know the scores.

He fought like he needed the knockout to win, and somehow, it came.

A Wood right hand drilled Conlan to the temple and knocked him out on his feet. Within less than a second, emotions ranged from ecstasy to horror as Conlan’s limp body torpedoed several feet to the ground outside the ring.

Wood’s celebration was on hold until Conlan’s wellbeing was assured. Once it was, everyone could fully appreciate the efforts of both men in the ring.

No one wants to see a life lost in boxing, but the inherent danger involved is part of the reason the drama and stakes are so high. Wood wanted to knock Conlan out, but he didn’t want to harm him permanently.

Rivalry fuels a matchup, but once two fighters have spilled each other’s blood and pushed each other to the brink, a camaraderie forms. They risk death for the chance of attaining a dream and respect each other for the skill and gallantry shown throughout the battle.

Boxing at its highest level takes you through all the stages of joy and grief in a rollercoaster of emotion. That’s how you know that you’ve witnessed an unforgettable fight.

Considering that criteria, Wood vs. Conlan will hold up for years to come and is an example of what makes boxing the greatest sport of all.