2022 KO of the year: Wood-Conlan
Plus: Rest of the best big shots in order; past winners year-by-year
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From start to finish, Leigh Wood’s WBA secondary featherweight title defense against mandatory challenger Michael Conlan was a riveting, all-action battle with ebbs and flows. It was one of the best fights of the year.
But as tremendous of a fight as it was the incredibly dramatic ending is what most will remember years from now and why it is the 2022 Fight Freaks Unite knockout of the year.
Wood was making his first title defense and fighting in front of a passionate hometown crowd at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England on March 12 in the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN.
Northern Ireland’s Conlan had gone to the lion’s den and was having his way with Wood. He dropped him in the first round to quiet the crowd, cut and bruised his face and despite being knocked down himself in the 11th round, was ahead on all three scorecards going into the final round of a terrific fight.