ON A picket shelf that overlooks the principle ring in Ben Davison’s Efficiency Centre health club sits a pink and gold sombrero.
For the numerous rounds of sparring, shadow boxing and hitting pads throughout this gruelling camp, the headwear has been there, ever-present in Leigh Wooden’s peripheral imaginative and prescient. A relentless reminder of the night time his world got here fairly actually crashing down.
Just a few minutes after Davison had infamously climbed onto the apron to request the conclusion of his fighter’s encounter with Mauricio Lara, the highly effective Mexican crossed the ring and bowed his head as he handed Wooden the sombrero that he had worn on his ringwalk. It matched his shorts and boots; pink trimmed with gold.
Wooden, who was having his gloves eliminated on the time, nodded in appreciation. There have been tears in his eyes and he might really feel the frustration of what had simply unfolded proper all the way down to his boots. That very same sombrero is now his most literal supply of motivation.
“It’s exhausting to have a look at,” Wooden admits. “However that’s precisely why I would like it there. It should inspire me for this rematch.
“I’ll most likely put on it on my again to the ring, I received’t give it again as a result of that’s most likely a bit disrespectful however I’ll maintain it after the battle.
“He gave me it as a mark of respect after the battle however for me it’s only a fixed reminder when issues are getting exhausting, I can have somewhat look up there and remind myself what I’m doing this for. If it will get a bit exhausting I simply assume ‘maintain pushing’. I’m going to place this proper.”
Not 14 weeks have handed since that night time, when Wooden’s spectacular efficiency throughout the primary half of the battle was undone with one savage seventh-round left hook from Lara. The pair had been each throwing the identical shot on the time however given Lara is likely one of the division’s greatest punchers, there can be just one winner.
Wooden climbed to his ft, regained his stability and did his greatest to steer referee Michael Alexander he might proceed for the ultimate 10 seconds of the spherical. The official purchased the plea, however Davison didn’t, tossing the towel six ft into Alexander’s arms. Wooden instantly remonstrated along with his coach however, given the contractual circumstances, he now totally understands the choice.
“Fighters want saving from themselves,” Wooden says. “If it was as much as me it’s a ‘let me keep it up’ second and it at all times can be. Even when I had one eye, one arm, one leg, it might be.
“As soon as that battle is over and defeat is there it’s there perpetually so please give me each probability. That’s precisely why fighters want saving from themselves and why you may have a nook.
“He knew we had a rematch clause, that I can win that battle and that I received caught with a foolish shot that was my very own fault. I received drunk by myself success and began holding my ft.”
So would he count on Davison to do the identical if it occurs once more on Saturday?
“These are completely different circumstances,” Wooden factors out. “He would give me a bit extra of an opportunity to remain within the battle.
“However you by no means know what may need occurred, he may need jumped on me and administered extra punishment or the alternative; he might’ve shot his load making an attempt to complete me and missed with the whole lot swinging for the fences and blown himself out.
“With the rematch clause there was a security internet however this time it’s not there. I hope I’d get each probability to attempt to flip issues round.
“However I’m not seeking to make that mistake once more. Contact wooden I don’t get caught with any daft photographs once more. I feel will probably be a barely completely different battle this time.”
There had been some suggestion that Wooden would swerve the instant rematch, take a warm-up battle and permit Josh Warrington to battle Lara earlier than dealing with the winner with a rejuvenating victory beneath his belt. Seems these ideas had been codswallop.
“Eddie Hearn was pondering he might persuade me in any other case however for me it was at all times ‘no method, I would like the rematch’,” says Wooden, who reckons he has watched the battle greater than 40 occasions because it occurred on February 18.
“We checked out it as a crew and we knew immediately what to do. It’s nearly irritating watching it again, time and time once more, however I’ve spent the vast majority of time since final September learning Mauricio Lara, what he does and what he’s good at, so I do know him inside out. This instant rematch simply is sensible.
“Immediately I knew what I did fallacious, the errors I made. It wasn’t like I got here out pondering ‘how do I put this proper?’ I knew what I did fallacious and I’m raring to place it proper. It’s small changes that may make a giant distinction on the night time.
“I felt like I had him beneath management and because the rounds went on I used to be having increasingly more success and that ultimately got here to an abrupt ending. I sort of received drunk by myself success and began pondering ‘proper, he’s gassing now, I’m going to carry my ft and take extra probabilities’ and I paid the worth for that.”
Now the pair will meet on the Manchester Area on Saturday night time with Lara nonetheless by no means having heard the ultimate bell in any of his three fights on British soil. Not like final time, the 25-year-old Mexican, who’s ranked No.1 on this planet at 126lbs, is an amazing favorite with the bookmakers,
However there have been many who wrote Wooden off when he was dropped within the first after which stopped inside six by Gavin McDonnell method again in 2014. Alexander was a choose that night time.
Much more mentioned he was completed when Jazza Dickens beat him on factors three years again. Wooden’s skill to bounce again, it seems, has been one in all his biggest property.
“I don’t take it as emotionally as I used to,” Wooden says. “I feel ‘why did I lose?’ and ‘How can I be sure it doesn’t occur once more’. In the event you get too emotional, it might pull you down and mess together with your head.”
And never even 12 weeks Lara’s sombrero has managed that.
