Jazza Dickens has been left ‘sick’ after a potential fight with WBA Featherweight Champion Leigh Wood collapsed in favour of Mexico’s Mauricio Lara.
IBO champ Jazza had beaten Wood over 10 rounds in February 2020, but now feels short-changed after the Nottingham man’s reluctance to offer a rematch.
Since besting Michael Conlan in a ‘fight of the year’ last March, Wood will need another compelling performance this Saturday (18th February) to overcome the WBA #10 ranked Lara - who opens at a 2/5 favourite.
In an exclusive interview with the ECHO, Scouse southpaw Dickens weighs in on the highly-touted Nottingham Arena showdown.
Were you surprised by Wood’s decision to fight the formidable Lara?
People didn’t know this, but I was offered the [Wood] fight, too.
Then I found out through social media that he’d matched Lara. So I was surprised, yeah.
I felt sick because I thought I had the fight pushed through.
If he can’t make a unification fight, he gets more out of fighting me than he does fighting anyone else.
He’s gotta fight someone in the top 10 as it is, he might as well get something for it.
There’s no use when you’ve only got your own belt on the line, there’s everything to lose and nothing to gain!
That’s why it would make for a good fight. Plus there’s history there; we fought before, and it was a great fight. There’s unfinished business.
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How will the fight go down? Brawl or technical?
It’ll start with Leigh Wood dictating the pace, he will wanna bring Lara down to his tempo.
But Lara will, in the end, force Wood into a tough fight.
Wood is more than capable of holding his own, he’ll fight his way until the last bell.
He needs to control the distance, I think that’s what they’ll be working on.
As it is, Leigh Wood is riddled with injury. His game plan with Ben Davidson (Wood’s coach) won’t be about being aggressive, strong and fit - they’ll be looking to preserve Wood as best as they can, try and keep him out of these wars and make him as much money as possible.
Right now, that’s what the goal is for them.
They’re gonna utilise his experience in title fights and try to draw Lara, not into a ‘bore-fest’, but they’ll try to slow the pace and pick rounds up as they go along. Knowing that they’re gonna have to fight it out, they’re gonna have to build rounds.
What do you see as Lara’s best assets?
His power and his tenaciousness. You can see he’s a very hungry fighter, and he’s got a lot to prove.
You can tell his will to win and his desire will be the things that get him furthest in the sport.
Technically, he’s not the best fighter in the sport, but he is very good.
If Wood is unwilling to fight you, where is the ‘money fight’ in the division?
It’s hard to say now. We used to have an understanding of where the ‘money fight’ was last year.
But since [Josh] Warrington has lost his value [after losing his title to Luis Alberto Lopez in a majority decision last year], Wood’s stock has gone up, Lara is gaining value, and now [Luis Alberto] Lopez has gained value - but they’re not of that standard that we had with the Leo Santa Cruz. He was the real money fight.
Michael Conlan lost a bit of value when he lost to Leigh Wood, too.
It’s basic money for now until we get another ‘king of the featherweight division’.
We need a unified champion, the ‘money fights’ just aren’t there right now.
Where has Wood made the biggest strides since your fight in 2020?
The fight would be a lot worse for him. I’ve gone away and learnt new stuff, not just physically. I’ve added a lot to my game around my technical ability.
His tactics are maximising what he can do with the ability that he has - and he’s come on massively under Ben Davidson - but his technical ability hasn’t developed as such. He’s just fine-tuning what he had.
His mentality is different. Between the ‘old’ Leigh Wood and the ‘new’ Leigh Wood, being with Davidson has given him loads of confidence.
That’s what you want as a coach; not just someone who can give you physical skills, you want someone who can give you the mindset.
At 34 years old, has Wood shown any signs of slowing down?
I think he’s on the slide. He’s having operation after operation, he’s pulling out of fights.
As the man with the world title, he should be fighting two or three times a year - that’s what champions do when they’re on the up.
He’s definitely got an exit plan. That’s why he’s already got a fight lined up with Josh Warrington whether he wins [against Lara] or loses.
I shouldn’t actually say he’s on the slide. He’s one win away from a great confidence booster, but one loss away from thinking ‘you’re done’. It’s hard to say, it’s a personal question.
What motivates you in the remainder of your career? Money or belts?
I have an obligation to my family to provide for them with security, but I’ve also got an obligation to myself to get the best outcome for my career - to be a World Champion, a unified World Champion.
I’ve worked so hard all these years, I’m not gonna let that slip.
I’m sacrificing more now than I ever had before, and I feel now that I’m physically coming to my peak.
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