Leigh Wood given message by trainer Ben Davison after controversial stoppage

Davison has been criticised for throwing in the towel to end Wood’s fight against Mauricio Lara

Leigh Wood’s corner threw in the towel to end their fighter’s encounter with Mauricio Lara (Getty Images)

Trainer Ben Davison told Leigh Wood that the boxer would “get a rematch” after throwing in the towel to end his fighter’s encounter with Mauricio Lara.

Wood struggled back to his feet after being felled by Lara’s left hook in the seventh round, prompting Davison’s intervention from the corner to bring the bout to an end.

It meant the 34-year-old ceded the WBA featherweight title with a TKO defeat in his home city of Nottingham.

Davison’s decision to bring the clash to a close with time running out in the round has been heavily debated, with Tony Bellew among those initially criticising the trainer’s tossing of the towel.

In behind-the-scenes footage from the event at Motorpoint Arena released by Matchroom Boxing on YouTube, Wood can be seen to react with surprise at Davison’s decision.

Turning to his corner to protest, Wood seems to indicate that he felt fine to continue.

“You will get a rematch,” Davison is heard to tell his fighter in the immediate aftermath of the stoppage.

Later, Davison further expands on his decision in the ring as Lara celebrates his maiden global title.

“Listen, you’ve got a rematch,” he told a frustrated Wood. “You were a bit too hurt.”

Wood responds: “I was alright”.

But Davison insists, asking the fighter to “trust” him after again stressing that he felt the 34-year-old was “too hurt” to compete.

Ben Davison consoled his fighter after throwing in the towel during the title fight (PA)

Wood does have a rematch clause in his contract and must now decide whether he wishes to face Lara again.

Both fighters have also been connected with a potential fight with British featherweight Josh Warrington.

Lara has already faced Warrington twice, securing a TKO victory in early 2021 before a second meeting was brought to a halt after an accidental cut to the Mexican’s head.

Having appeared to spit at Warrington after his WBA belt win, the 24-year-old says he would be happy to return to England to face either fighter.

“It’s almost like my second home here,” Lara said, according to Boxing Scene.

“Right now, I’m tired. I wanna spend some time with my family. It’s been a really long training camp. And, you know, whatever my manager says, whatever Eddie Hearn says. You know, I’m ready for it. I’ll take anything on.”