Michael Conlan Not Worried About Judges in Leigh Wood Title Clash

Olympian Michael Conlan, who is no stranger to controversial decisions, is not worried about the scorecards in his upcoming fight with WBA “regular” champion Leigh Wood.

Their showdown takes place next Saturday night in Nottingham.

Last weekend, undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor won a controversial twelve round split decision over Jack Catterall.

The British Boxing Board of Control is currently investigating the scoring of the contest.

“Selfishly, it probably happened at a good time leading into my fight,” Conlan said to The Independent. “It’s probably going to be a bit hard for it to happen now that has happened. I felt devastated for Jack Catterall, but in a selfish way it was better it happened then than for me.”

“I’m not worried about knocking anyone out or anything like that. If it comes, it comes. It quite possibly could come, but at the minute I’m just focused on being the best I can be and if I do that, no judge in the world could rob me of that, so I’m excited.”

The fight with Wood will have a mix of British and international officials.

Conlan was on the receiving end of a controversial decision in the Rio Olympics, where he was knocked off by Vladimir Nikitin in the quarter-finals.

Conlan admits there have been some very questionable scorecards in recent years in the UK. 

Based on what recently happened in Taylor-Catterall, Conlan believes the boxing world will be watching the scorecards very closely when he faces Wood.

“If you look at the last few years of judging on these shores, you could say that. Why would any fighter want to come to the UK? Any foreign fighter who does is up against it,” Conlan said.

“It’s become very tough to get a decision and that’s unfortunate. Hopefully with the eyes of the world watching with everything that has happened, I don’t have to flip the bird again and go crazy. I don’t think it will.”