Who wins Lara vs Wooden 2? Plus Lopez-Conlan, extra predictions

We’ve got a lot of action this weekend in the boxing with Mauricio Lara and Leigh Wood coming together for Saturday’s fight.

So who wins? We have picks for a total of seven fights!

Mauricio Lara vs Leigh Wood 2

Scott Christ (46-22)

I chose Leigh Wood in February. I think it was as good as he can fight. But Ben Davison and Wood really wanted an immediate rematch because Wood thinks he can beat this guy. So do I, until Wood has to dodge Lara’s fight-changing power for the entire 12 rounds.

I just don’t think Wood has that ability. In six, in eight? Yes. for 10? Maybe. in 12? I can not see it. But it Power happen. All Wood has to do to win is box impeccably for 36 minutes and tire Lara out so much that she can’t really hit anything in double-digit rounds. Maybe even go super ugly with it, grab and hold for the final dangerous rounds if you’re confident the lead has been built.

That’s all he has to do! But I think Lara will come stronger, sooner than before, and will want to test Wood’s confidence. Lara TKO-5

Will Esco (53-15)

Revenge or a repeat? I’m going to repeat. Lara TKO-6

Jan Hansen (49-19)

Back in February, I was betting that Lara would win in the 9th round. Leigh Wood followed his plan and channeled Lara’s power very well for half the fight, then suddenly he failed and it was over.

I really can’t think of a reason to reverse my choice based on what we’ve already seen. Wood probably can’t afford a defensive break at any point for 12 full rounds. Lara only needs one good combo to completely redefine a fight. Wood could choose his own finish, but mixing it this way only adds to Lara’s strengths. I still want to see it again, but I think we’ll get a similar result again. Lara TKO-9

Patrick Stumberg (53-15)

There is no doubt that Leigh Wood had complete control of the first fight before the disaster. He made Lara hurt, frustrated, and oddly shy, and it’s easy to argue that he’s only a few tweaks away from executing this game plan right this time around.

The problem is twofold. First, Wood’s style requires a great deal of self-confidence; he is not a great defensive fighter, meaning his strength and chutzpah must limit the performance of his opponents to keep him safe. With that roaring left hook so close in his rearview mirror, it’s an open question if he can still push forward with the kind of tenacity needed to disarm Lara. Secondly, it’s hard to get over the fact that the most limited and least effective Lara we’ve seen so far still manages to knock Wood into the next week.

I can see this one ending faster than the previous one. Lara knows that Wood can make the best shot and that the opposite is not true; expect a higher ‘Bronco’ score leading to a first-half break. Among KO-5

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Michael Conlan

Scott Christ (46-22)

I think it’s going to be an ugly fight, but weirdly funny in a way. I sincerely expect a fight where I shoot close to Lopez, where Conlan hobbles to the finish line after gaining a solid lead in the first half, and then Conlan scores arguable results. Conlan MD-12

Will Esco (53-15)

The thing is, this fight really has the potential to be a fun one that can go either way. Luis Alberto Lopez is really action packed and has a bit of a wild style that reminds me of Julio Cesar Martinez in terms of mentality and approach. The problem is that he fights with his hands down even more than Martinez and is not as smart as he thinks he is in the ring. Against someone with deep amateur experience like Conlan, I think Conlan will capitalize on the shortcomings with his superior technical skills.

The real question for me will be whether Conlan will be able to hurt Lopez because if Lopez consistently goes through his punches, he will be in trouble. I suspect Conlan will have enough respect even if he can’t force an arrest. And while Conlan has shown some weaknesses himself, I think he will gut this one. Conlan UD-12

Jan Hansen (49-19)

I originally did the live coverage of this fight and Scott apologized when he gave me the job. That doesn’t mean he’s bad fightbut it looks pretty bad to show in terms of viewing experience at home.

Conlan has a history of losing steam, focus, motivation, or a combination of both. Lopez is a quirky style guy who is hard to prepare for, and he’s dealt with fighters like Conlan before. I don’t really see Conlan knocking him out, but I can easily see Conlan tackling Lopez early on, fading in the back half and losing a mid-to-wide decision. I think even with a friendly home crowd and potentially friendly home refereeing, Lopez is taking the cards. Lopez UD-12

Patrick Stumberg (53-15)

Lopez are one of my favorite fighter breeds: one that makes you wonder “how the hell does it work?” There’s something incredibly endearing about the way he smacks people with his chin held high, just waiting for a right overhead strike to throw him 300 yards down the fairway. I’m really worried about his health because he’s running into a top fighter like Mauricio Lara, but I like his chances here. Though Conlan is a good craftsman, aggressive opponents have been a nuisance to him, from Ionut Baluta to Leigh Wood. If Lopez keeps his foot on the gas, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t, I’m not convinced Conlan will be able to keep his distance long enough to reach friendly judges.

While Conlan hits harder than his final score would suggest, and Lopez has a Joycian reluctance to protect his brain, I like how “Venado” drags Conlan into a shootout that “Mick” can’t win. Lopez slowly takes over as Conlan’s legs slow, eventually forcing him to submit in the stretch. Lopez TKO-9