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Michael Conlan is poised to take his greatest step but towards a shot at a significant world title.
The 2-time Olympian from Northern Eire is scheduled to face secondary beltholder Leigh Wooden of England in a 12-round featherweight combat Saturday evening at Nottingham Area in Nottingham, Wooden’s hometown (DAZN).
A victory would place him instantly below champion Leo Santa Cruz within the WBA rankings.
“I do know what sort of efficiency is approaching Saturday evening,” Conlan stated Thursday on the ultimate information convention earlier than the combat. “That is essentially the most relaxed and calm I’ve ever been in a combat week. I don’t really feel any stress, I’m right here within the opponents again backyard and I’ve bought to tear the belt off him. Everybody’s right here to see him. I’ve bought followers coming within the hundreds already, so it’s nothing new.
“I’m simply right here to do a job, I hope Leigh has had a improbable coaching camp, I hope he’s the most effective Leigh Wooden there’s ever been as a result of I consider I will likely be. It’ll make it all of the sweeter after I beat him.”
Conlan (16-0, 8 KOs) is finest recognized worldwide for flipping off officers after he misplaced a controversial determination within the second spherical of the competitors in 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Belfast fighter turned professional the next March and has recognized nothing however success, though he was lucky to win a majority determination over Ionut Baluta in April of final yr. He rebounded to defeat TJ Doheny by a large determination in his most-recent combat, final August.
Conlan and his group are assured he’ll have his hand raised on Saturday, partially due to the stress on Wooden preventing in entrance of a giant crowd at residence.
Wooden (25-2, 15 KOs) received his secondary belt by stopping Can Xu within the 12th spherical with nearly nobody in attendance on the Matchroom Boxing headquarters amid the COVID-19 pandemic final July.
“I believe that’s one thing that Leigh’s going to need to take care of, the psychological stress he’s going to be below,” stated former fighter Jamie Conlan, Michael’s brother and supervisor. “I noticed it final evening when he was doing his exercise. There’s going to be psychological stress on him extra so than on Michael.
“Michael has handled psychological stress all through his profession. He was thrown into the highlight from day one. Leigh has executed it when nobody was watching. He received the world title in entrance of 25 individuals in your (promoter Eddie Hearn’s] again backyard. “That is the large time, that is going to be the place everyone seems to be pressuring him on, anticipating him to win, in his hometown as the favourite. In our hometown we’re the favourite, so the followers coming over are totally anticipating Michael to win, totally anticipating to be joyous on Saturday.
“… As a household we’re simply prepared, we’ve been ready for this for a very long time. Future is in entrance of us, and Leigh is simply one other object in the best way.”
In the meantime, Wooden sounds as assured as Conlan and Co.
He’s had an up and down profession that’s up in the mean time. He was stopped by Gavin McDonnell in 2014, reeled off 12 victories after that, misplaced a majority determination to Jazza Dickens in February 2020 after which knocked out Reece Mould and Can Xu.
That led to his assembly with Conlan, which is his highest-profile combat.
“I’m buzzing to be right here,” he stated. “It’s been an extended onerous highway to get right here. Again in 2014, that was a horrible evening. I knew the explanations behind it, and I went away and corrected it. Similar with each of the defeats I’ve suffered. I went away, modified my group and improved as a fighter.
“I stayed disciplined, lived the life, and that’s why I’m bringing this massive evening again to Nottingham, I couldn’t be happier.”
We’ll see who’s smiling after the combat.
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