Sport

Leigh Wood can't stop me... WBA title will be mine says Michael Conlan

Michael Conlan and his cutman Russ Amber perform some tricks during his workout session in Nottingham yesterday. Picture: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Michael Conlan and his cutman Russ Amber perform some tricks during his workout session in Nottingham yesterday. Picture: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing Michael Conlan and his cutman Russ Amber perform some tricks during his workout session in Nottingham yesterday. Picture: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

MICHAEL Conlan introduced his cut-man to perform some tricks in the ring at yesterday’s workout in Nottingham but he says the real magic will come from him on Saturday night.

Conlan enjoyed a little light-hearted by-play with Leigh Wood fans and looked relaxed and confident in the build-up to the biggest night of his sporting life but when the serious business begins on Saturday night, he says he’ll rip the WBA featherweight title out of Wood’s grasp.

“He can’t stop me,” said Conlan.

“I’ve studied him, I’ve watched him but I pay attention to myself and if I’m the best Michael Conlan on the night, I win.”

Alongside brother Jamie, his father John and coach Adam Booth, Conlan seems to be enjoying the role of the challenger and being the away fighter. Whatever pressure there is, it’s on Wood’s shoulders in front of his home crowd at a sold-out Nottingham Arena.

“I’m chilled out, relaxed and ready to go,” said Conlan.

“I can’t wait. I’ve had a fantastic training camp and now we’re here.

“To come here and beat the champion in his own backyard, it’ll be unbelievable and it’s what I will do. It’s what I’ve been born to do and I definitely will do it.”

“I think it’ll rank high in Irish boxing, it’s always good to go to the champion’s backyard and take away his title – Wayne McCullagh and Carl Frampton have done it and now I’m doing it.”

An expected 3,000 travelling fans are expected to make the trip to Nottingham and cheer the Belfast fighter to victory. Conlan’s coach Adam Booth says his fighter is ready for anything Wood can throw at him.

“Michael is the better boxer and the better fighter,” he said.

“At championship level you have to be prepared for everything including knocking them out, getting dropped yourself and having to get back up, fighting on the inside, getting roughed up… You have to be technically, mentally and emotionally ready for everything and Mick is ready for all of those elements right now.

“I’ve never seen him as sharp, never, not even close.”

Leigh Wood also looked in good shape yesterday. Tall and strong, he jumped rope and shadow-boxed in the ring and says he will beat Conlan and then intends to move on to “bigger fights”.

“I’m excited, most of the hard work is done,” he said.

“It’s been some journey and this is the top, this is the peak, this is the height of my career and I want to go on to some bigger fights after this. At the minute, this is the biggest fight of my career and I can’t wait for it.”

Wood won the title with a career best performance last July when he dominated and then stopped China’s reigning champion Can Xu. He says he won’t allow his title to slip in his first defence.

“My feet are firmly on the ground,” he said.

“We’ve looked at what Michael does well, which is a lot of things because he’s a really good fighter and we’ve looked at what he doesn’t do so well and we’re going to capitalise on that. I’m a seasoned featherweight but he can make featherweight and he’s big enough and strong enough for this weight.

“I don’t want him to be able to put that card out after the fight and say: ‘Wait a minute, I’m a super-bantamweight’. He’s big enough for featherweight but I’ve got heavy hands and I’m a fully-fledged featherweight.”