Matchroom Boxing outbid Top Rank on Monday for the right to promote Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan, making Conlan the ‘opponent’ in a fight for the first in his career. Top Rank submitted a bid of $1.2 million, which Matchroom topped with a $1.5 million bid of their own.
As the defending titleholder, Leigh Wood (25-2, 15 KO) receives 55% of the purse, while Michael Conlan (16-0, 8 KO) will take home 45%. Both fighters are coming off the most impressive wins of their careers, with the kind of momentum they would want heading into this sort of high-profile matchup.
Wood earned this opportunity with an unexpected win over fan favorite Xu Can in July, scoring a TKO in the 12th round after neutralizing Can’s usually frenetic work rate. One week later, Conlan defeated former IBF super bantamweight champion TJ Doheny in an all-Ireland affair, dropping him in the 5th round of a UD victory.
This appears to be an evenly matched fight, and one in which both boxers will feel confident of their chances. More details to come once Matchroom makes the official announcement.