“I see straight through his confidence” – Wood claims size of the task is ‘dawning’ on Conlan

Leigh Wood [25(15)-2(1)] suggests Michael Conlan[16(8)-0] is whistling like a pressure cooker, getting loud because he is starting to feel the heat.

The WBA regular champion says the Belfast fighter has been more vocal ahead of this fight than any other – and he thinks he knows why.

The Ben Davidson trained fighter says the Olympic medal winner is trying to portray a self-assured air but claims it’s false confidence he sees right through.

The Nottingham featherweight believes the Irish star has realized the mountainous challenge that awaits at the Motor Point Arena in Nottingham this Saturday and is trying to hide his nerves with brave talk.

“No, it’s dawning on him,” Wood said when speaking to Dazn news.

“It’s dawning on him the mountain he’s going to have to climb. It’s dawning on him the scale of the job, the severity of the fight.”

“It’s alright playing the joker and having a laugh, swearing a few times at a press conference, now he’s got to fight.

“He knows this is his hardest fight, he’s admitted that this is his hardest fight,” he adds before declaring action speaking louder than words.

“He can say what he wants, but he’s got to get in there and fight.

“In my eyes he’s doing things he’s not used to doing, he’s doing things he doesn’t normally do before a fight, that’s a worrying sign.”

The titleholder claims since the fight has been made Conlan has been trying to latch onto any little thing to try build up his confidence.

He also warns the occasion won’t get to him.

“I’m not saying it’s dawning on him like he’s getting scared, I see straight through his confidence,” Wood claimed.

“I see straight through it, he says to me on the press conference things like, him and his brother, ‘I’ve not boxed in front of this many people before’, they are hoping I trip and stumble under the pressure.

“When we got close, he mentioned my shoulder operation in October which was very close to my camp, he said ‘How’s your shoulder?’

“He’s hoping I’ve got a bad shoulder; he’s hoping I slip and crumble under that pressure, not a single chance.”

Photo Credit Mark Robinson Matchroom