As for his title win, that came only after losing to Jones and engaging in two gruelling fights – a draw and a loss – against Glen Johnson for the IBF light-heavyweight crown. He would, like Nelson, have to be patient in his search for a world title, Woods, but he got there in the end. In 2005, his team managed to bring Rico Hoye, an unbeaten American, to Rotherham, England with the vacant IBF light-heavyweight belt at stake, and this time Woods left nothing to chance. Whereas before, against Johnson, he let the judges get involved and have their say, on this occasion he hurt Hoye, turned the screw, and then got him out of there in round five. What followed that was a look of relief, not disbelief, on the face of Sheffield’s latest world champion.
