Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Leigh Wood sends World title message to Michael Conlan after devastating KO win

Leigh Wood is confident Michael Conlan will recover from his 12th-round knockout defeat to become world champion.

Wood sent Conlan through the ropes to record a remarkable KO win and retain his WBA world featherweight belt at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

His Belfast challenger appeared to be heading for victory before the fight was stopped, with Conlan up on all three judges' scorecards when the devastating ending came.

Read more: Michael Conlan and Leigh Wood reunited after epic world title fight

There was concern for Conlan following the brutal knockout, with the 30-year-old being stretchered out of the arena before being taken to hospital for precautionary checks and a CT scan.

Updating fans during the night, Conlan tweeted: "Im all good folks, cheers for the messages. Ill be back, good shot and congrats to Leigh and his team."

Nottingham hero Wood muted his celebrations inside the ring after watching Conlan fall through the ropes, and he showed his class on Sunday by wishing his opponent well in the future.

And he also believes Conlan will go on to become world champion.

Wood said: "You are and will be a champ. It takes 2 to tango and we had a hell of a dance."

Conlan also said on Twitter: "Watched the fight, I definitely need to run it back! Up on the cards & 11th was a slip, fatigue was kicking in & I was caught on the temple with a good shot I didn’t see. Respect @itsLeighWood congrats again, your (sic) a tough f***** but let’s run it back."

Both fighters were reunited on Sunday after Conlan's hospital ordeal, showing nothing but respect for each other following their fight of the year contender.

Wood could now challenge for the WBA 'Super' title, currently held by Carl Frampton's old nemesis Leo Santa Cruz.

There are other big unification fights which could also be made, with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn keen to give Wood a dream home fight at Nottingham Forest's City Ground.

Read more: Michael Conlan issues message to fans after brutal final-round knockout

Read more: Michael Conlan on polarising opinion and being viewed as a "mad bigot"

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.