Can Leigh Wood defeat 'The Monster'

Leigh Wood is currently preparing for the biggest , best and most crucial fight of his career to date, A WBA World Title shot. His opponent Can Xu, also known as 'The Monster', eighteen wins and just two defeats.

Nottingham's Leigh Wood has been ever improving since being under the wing of trainer Ben Davison, guiding him to a British Title in February and now they will be intensively preparing for Can Xu. Their first fight as trainer and fighter was a stoppage win over Reece Mould and just after few weeks together you could see the vast improvements in Woods game and the potential the featherweight has.

On paper it's a massive step up for Leigh , going from a British Title straight to a World Title fight, somewhat similar to Craig Richards earlier this year, when he stepped up to fight Dmitry Bivol for the WBA Light Heavyweight title, holding his own, much to the surprise of the viewers. But this is Boxing , a sport full of underdog stories, one punch can change an entire fight.

Wood has power in abundance, which is reflected on his record, twenty four wins, fourteen wins by knockout, which is an impressive feat in the Featherweight division. The danger Can Xu faces is the punch power, can he avoid being tagged by a massive right hand over twelve rounds? 

Can Xu is known for his fast hands, amazingly he threw 1562 punches in a single fight, a title defence against Manny Robles III in 2019, will Wood be able to avoid the flush, fast and ferocious combinations from the Chinese Featherweight World Champion?

I believe this fight will steal the show and produce an amazing spectacle for the fans, anything could happen at anytime in this fight, but my final prediction is a Leigh Wood stoppage in rounds 9-12.