Leigh Wood has had to sit on the sidelines with injuries over the last 19 months, watching his stablemates such as Moses Itauma take the applause under the bright lights.
Wood will finally make his long awaited return this Saturday in his home city of Nottingham against Anthony Cacace for the IBO junior lightweight title. Wood will be fighting for the first time under the banner of Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. At 36 years old, the former featherweight champion is approaching the end of his career and has experienced everything inside the ring – and outside of it.
“I've missed it. Not the politics side of boxing, but the actual boxing,” Wood told BoxingScene. “I've missed it and I was so relieved to finally get my date nailed down and signed and sealed with Frank [Warren].
“I love boxing. I don't like the politics side, that is so frustrating. I can't wait to see the back of that side of things when I finally do retire, but I love boxing. Actually just preparing for being up against it, I've just been told I'm possibly going to go again.
“So these are the things that I enjoy and going out on fight night, proving everyone wrong, a lot of people right as well. Just enjoying the moment and showing what I can do and everything that goes around it, the build up, the fight, and after, there's nothing like it. That's what I get from boxing.”
The former WBA belt-holder last fought against Josh Warrington in October 2023, successfully defending his title with a spectacular seventh-round knockout after being down on the cards. The fight was promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing – Wood’s former promotional outfit – and a rematch was in the works to be made between Wood and Warrington, but never came to fruition.
Warrington then landed a shot at the then-IBF featherweight champion Cacace, despite coming off of a defeat to Wood, who was left frustrated. Warrington suffered a unanimous decision loss and Cacace vacated his title in favour of a more lucrative payday with Wood rather than face his mandatory challenger Eduardo Nunez.
“For a short period of time, the rematch was highly likely with Warrington and then I had a few injuries and then when I went back to Matchroom to negotiate again – things weren't the same,” said Wood. “I just didn't really like the vibe and then I looked at the landscape and I thought, well, they [Cacace and Warrington] was fighting each other, which I was frustrated about because I wanted to fight Cacace, but then, obviously, the next best thing is to fight the winner.”
