Lara vs Wood 2 Odds Preview: Wood Seeks Redemption

Boxing Odds Lean on Lara Once Again

In the rematch to their firecracker of a championship bout this February, Mauricio “Bronco” Lara is favored to defend his belt against Leigh Wood. The action remains in the United Kingdom in favor of Wood, the former champion. But the Lara vs Wood betting odds remain squarely on the former. While Wood seeks to even the score, Lara can bury Wood for good with another win here.

Lara Finds Himself in Another Rematch in the U.K.

There may be a sense of deja vu for Mauricio Lara here. It was just two years ago when he fought Josh Warrington in consecutive bouts in the United Kingdom. Lara finished Warrington in the ninth round with a left hook just as he finished Wood in the seventh.

But the rematch with Warrington ended abruptly due to a cut caused by a headbutt. This new rematch should not end in another anticlimactic fashion, especially if Lara has it his way.

“It is gonna be a good fight,” Lara said to The Ring through Alejandro Brito of Bxstrs Promotions. “We know now what [Wood] is capable of. It was a great experience but this rematch will be different because I have prepared myself better than ever and it will show on May 27th. I’ll try to KO him faster this time.”

Lara has finished 11 of his last 12 opponents. He has the edge on the Lara vs Wood betting odds because of his power, namely from his left hand. Still, the champion was not without fault. He was, in fact, behind on the scorecards before producing that knockout.

Now that Lara has a better read of Wood, he may just make good on his promise to finish him faster. Folks are betting this fight to go under the 8.5 rounds set on the boxing odds. Lara may have been losing the fight, but he had plenty of success catching Wood with his counter-boxing.

Wood will undoubtedly have made adjustments. But with just three months of training, Wood could still throw more of the same looks. And Lara will gladly hone in on them and make his powerful punches count.

Wood Could Outlast Lara If He Can Survive

Sometimes they say that a boxer is “too tough for their own good.” That can be the case for someone like Wood, a boxer that has a penchant for absorbing damage to rally late in the fight. He finished both Can Xu and Michael Conlan in competitive bouts. Wood could have done the same to Lara though his corner (who threw in the towel) thought otherwise.

“It’s frustrating that I was ahead on the scorecards and got caught, but I’m trying not to dwell on it,” Wood said to ESPN. “We’re both big punchers but I know what happened and I know where I have him the opportunity. I made mistakes. I had a lot of success two rounds before the stoppage and I was letting my hands go, starting to hold my feet.”

If Wood can make the adjustments and avoid Lara’s concussive countershots, he has a solid shot as an underdog on the Lara vs Wood betting odds. The 34-year-old will have to tighten up and be more technical even if he knows his punches, particularly his body shots, are taking their toll on Lara.

Plenty of boxers have become victims of their own success namely when it comes to their power. Both Wood and Lara have knockout power and can get caught relying on it. Technically, Wood need not hurt Lara to the point of a finish. He just needs to take the wind out of his sails and earn the judges’ nod.

But that’s easier said than done. Lara will not let Wood get pretty and the Manchester crowd will be raucous and push them on. It’s why this fight could be the most exciting in this Saturday’s boxing schedule. Either way, both Lara and Wood will produce another show that could end in an exciting fashion again.

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