Mauricio Lara Stripped of WBA Featherweight Belt, Doubts Cast on Title Fight

Mauricio Lara Stripped of WBA Featherweight Belt

Mexican boxer Mauricio Lara has been stripped of his WBA featherweight belt due to his failure to make weight for his title fight against Leigh Wood. This development has cast doubts on the fight scheduled to take place in Manchester on Saturday.

Promoter’s Assurance

Promoter Eddie Hearn has expressed confidence that the bout will still proceed, assuring fans that Wood remains eligible to fight for the title. However, Wood’s trainer, Ben Davison, has stated that he cannot guarantee the fight will definitely happen.

Weight Concerns and Disqualification

During a weight check conducted by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) on Wednesday, concerns were raised about the excessive weight of the champion. The BBBofC was unwilling to allow Lara to cut weight below 9st 2.5lbs, leading to his weight cut being halted. On Friday, Lara weighed in at 9st 3.8lbs, exceeding the allowed limit.

Rematch Possibility

If the rematch proceeds, Wood could potentially regain the belt he lost to Lara in their previous encounter in February, where he was stopped in the seventh round.

Harper and Habazin Set for World Title Clash

In a hastily re-arranged world-title defence, England’s WBA light-middleweight champion, Terri Harper, has successfully made weight for her upcoming fight against Croatia’s Ivana Habazin. Harper’s bout will be part of the undercard in Manchester, with Jack Catterall’s light-welterweight contest against Darragh Foley serving as the main support.

Okolie and Billam-Smith to Fight for World Titles

This weekend also sees British boxers Lawrence Okolie and Chris Billam-Smith in world-title action. Okolie and Billam-Smith are set to compete in separate fights in Bournemouth. Billam-Smith will challenge Okolie for the WBO cruiserweight title at Vitality Stadium. Notably, there were no weight-related complications during their weigh-in, as both fighters tipped the scales at 14st 3lbs.

Conlan and Lopez Prepare for World-Title Clash

In Belfast, Michael Conlan of Northern Ireland has successfully made weight for his world-title fight against IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez. The ceremonial weigh-in took place on Friday evening, building anticipation for their upcoming clash.