It was an unforgettable night for the travelling Stoke faithful, as their hometown hero Nathan Heaney did the unthinkable at Manchester’s AO Arena: outboxing, outsmarting and absorbing world title challenger Denzel Bentley’s best punches en route to a majority decision win to crown a new British middleweight champion after big wins for Nick Ball and Liam Davies prior.
Heaney humbles Bentley behind a cauldron of noise
114-114, 116-113, 117-111: Nathan Heaney bt. Denzel Bentley via majority decision as Stoke man wins British middleweight title in upset victory
- Heaney started well, considerable Stoke contingent travelled with him and only boosted Hitman’s confidence as he outboxed the champion
- Heaney tells talkSPORT post-fight: “It doesn’t feel real! Denzel is world level, I boxed to instruction, switched off for three rounds but the crowd were phenomenal, had to box to instruction. I always knew I could do it, sparred the McKenna brothers and their dad believed in me, I know what I can do but people think I’m rubbish and stiff. To the amazing city of Stoke-on-Trent, I love you so much, they backed me all the way through.”
- Frank Warren, who promotes both, tells me afterwards that a future rematch could be made later down the line but also believes Denzel “didn’t get going, and possibly underestimated the 34-year-old,” in a career-best performance for huge underdog
Nathan Heaney was greeted to a hero’s welcome and the reported 2,500-strong travelling Stoke supporters created a cauldron of noise in Manchester fit for a champion. Little did they know what was coming, an hour later.
34 and needing to make the most of a professional career that began six years ago this month, he proved here to be more than just a lovable ticket seller after all.
Bentley has shown previously he isn’t immune to a slow start but began this bout struggling in attempts to find his range against a taller, bigger fighter and getting tagged often when venturing forward to capitalise on potential openings.
Heaney connected with a nice one-two combination early in round two and his corner were urging him to keep moving as Bentley pressed searching for haymakers and single shots, leaving himself defensively vulnerable to counters.
Dirty boxing naturally suited the stronger 6ft 1in challenger and whipping right hands were scoring shots for an underdog whose confidence levels continued to soar as the crowd noise intensified with every moment of success.
Exchanging in a firefight was to Bentley’s detriment, but being at the end of Heaney’s punches wasn’t a better alternative. As such, you saw the champion was visibly stuck in two minds about how to approach chopping down the proverbial tree.
Elsewhere on the seven-fight main card…
Highly-rated English heavyweight champion Solomon Dacres flattered to deceive at times, and got hit far too much for comfort on his Queensberry debut, but narrowly squeezed past Michael Webster (95-95, 96-93, 96-94) to retain his title.
Ema Kozin produced a split decision upset (94-96, 98-92, 96-94) over Scotland’s Hannah Rankin in a closely-fought encounter to win WBC and WBO light-middleweight world titles vacated by IBF world welterweight titlist Natasha Jonas.
He was following the challenger by this stage, landing where possible with more singles and an uppercut through the middle, Bentley faring a bit better in the third but Heaney comfortable and countering well off the back foot.
Bentley briefly hurt Heaney early in round four, perhaps getting into his rhythm now as he was a whisker away from two haymakers landing clean. An overhand right landed firmly on the challenger’s chin too, probably 3-1 or 2-2 through 12 minutes.
Heaney needs to be sharper with the right-hand counter, said former multi-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch on talkSPORT’s commentary feed.
After all, Bentley was beginning to stalk him without cutting the ring off per say, and the Stoke man’s corner wanted their charge to keep moving, a task easier said than done given the fight’s pacing and energy he was applying boxing backwards.
“Stay sharp, chip away and give him a boxing lesson,” Heaney’s corner implored as they entered a sixth. Heaney had found the range, his confidence heightened and why wouldn’t it be given most expected he would’ve been knocked out by this stage?
Hands low and beckoning the champion to engage with him in the centre, his head movement was excellent as he even cheekily showboated too. Bentley was second best, and that sequence typified a remarkable first-half’s worth of action.
The question was moreso whether Heaney was capable of maintaining those defensive abilities and calculated enthusiasm down the stretch.
Right on cue then, Bentley landed his best punch of the fight midway through the seventh with a bruising right, but crucially didn’t follow it up as Heaney backpedalled into a comfortable position and resumed working to frustrate him.
He slipped shots, hands down again, and edged more rounds as they became increasingly competitive. Bentley landed the round’s better punches and it appeared, brieflly wobbled the challenger during a physical eighth stanza.
Into the ninth they went – 5-3 Heaney for me – and the 34-year-old’s corner urged him against trading punches, understandably welcoming danger that way.
Bentley was subtly point-scoirng with single jabs to the body but still agitated at how this fight was evading his grasp, such was the ease at which Heaney found his target.
The referee Kevin Parker warned Bentley, not for the first time, after seeing him illegally floor Heaney in a moment of frustration and was loudly booed afterwards.
Heaney began the tenth unloading a furious combo, the crowd roaring their approval and just when you thought Bentley had rhythm on his side or more power behind him in their exchanges, was repeatedly guilty of over-extending on attacks.
R11 was another close one, depending on what you like. Regardless of who won it, Bentley needed a knockdown heading into the final stanza and instead, found himself pushed back as they exchanged furiously in the pocket and Heaney happily on top with victory in reach. Soon enough, his career-best display was rewarded.
Ball passes Dogboe test with flying colours
118-109, 116-111, 119-108: Nick Ball bt. Isaac Dogboe via UD, Liverpool man wins final eliminator for WBC featherweight world championship
Nick Ball was busy from minute one to the last, en route to an impressive unanimous decision win over former super-bantamweight world champion Isaac Dogboe.
Ball much more active in the early exchanges, chaining combos together and trying to breach Dogboe’s high guard, most of the punches are being blocked but optics favour the Liverpudlian as Dogboe fires back to finish a competitive first round.
Dogboe targeting the body in round two, Ball countering and having the better moments in another tense round emphasised by a furious exchange in the final seconds, both landing big shots.
Ball had a mouse under his right eye that was visible early in the third, Dogboe busy complaining about dirty boxing during another nip-and-tuck round but his team certainly felt hard done by they didn’t have a knockdown scored in the last moments as the 26-year-old needed the ropes to keep him upright in the corner.
Suspect knockdown to start the fourth, especially considering what happened in the previous round, but Ball lands a nice left and keeps up the pressure too.
Referee Victor Loughlin warns Ball about pushing when breaking from the clinch, but his pace and pressure is hard for the former world champion to constantly track as uppercuts and straight shots land.
Dogboe wasn’t being active enough and midway through the fifth, you saw as much during lull rest periods for the younger boxer where he could’ve capitalised. Instead, Ball matched him in moments when the 29-year-old was connecting clean.
It seemed as if the former super-bantamweight WBO world champion was in two minds over whether to match Ball’s rough-housing tactics, much to the consternation of his support team ringside, which included a vocal Joshua Buatsi.
Ball didn’t seem fazed and happily continued to use strength than belied his 5ft 2in frame, wobbling Dogboe ever so slightly early in the seventh with a sharp left hand.
Uppercuts soon followed and more fast combos, most being blocked or grazing the arms, but scoring shots nonetheless.
Dogboe got back to the body work he started with in the eighth, but wasn’t in a position to rest on his laurels as it felt inevitable another knockdown – for either man – was coming.
Ball looked the more likely in the ninth, walking Dogboe down and whipping more vicious uppercuts to body and head before Dogboe waited for an opening, timing his entries and subsequently buzzing the champion with an uppercut of his own in the final seconds against the ropes. Where was that punch selection earlier in the round?
“Don’t wait Isaac, don’t give him a chance to recover,” was the shout from Isaac’s corner and that instruction sparked him into life during a back-and-forth tenth round where both had periods of success.
Ball’s pressure was overwhelming and Dogboe, clearly down on the scorecards, left waiting too long to get his attacks off.
What makes it all the more frustrating from his perspective is, there were several moments where Ball was on unsteady legs or there to be hit, but that relentlessness proved too good for him.
Davies dances with danger, earns furious stoppage
R5, 2:50 – Liam Davies bt. Vincenzo La Femina via TKO
- Telford man makes second defence of his EBU super-bantamweight title won twelve months ago vs. Ionut Baluta, one step closer to potential bout with IBO world champion Erik Robles in 2024 as he told me in August
- La Femina entered this fight with a 13-0 record, suffers first defeat in maiden fight away from Italian home soil
There was more back-and-forth action in the first round than sustained periods over 30 minutes in the previous fight, as Liam Davies began rapidly and Vincenzo La Femina got berated by his corner to stay defensively responsible.
Davies popped his jab as you saw the faces of both were marking early, unsurprising given neither wanted to give an inch and they wound up targeting a knockout punch.
Davies’ jab is piercing when he flicks it out, the Italian started the third with more punch accuracy and output, Davies lands a stinging right hand and digging uppercuts to the body before a beautiful counter right dropped the away fighter.
Just as you could sense a finish on the cards, the champion was overeager and left himself defensively vulnerable with La Femina landing a short left hook to knock him down shortly afterwards, in an all-action round.
Davies looked as if he knew, this was a self-inflicted mistake. La Femina with some gamesmanship midway through the fourth, lowering his guard after absorbing some damage and beckoning Davies forward as if to say the punches weren’t hurting him.
They were. The pair then exchanged up close before Davies floored him once more just before the bell with a sharp counter left hook, back to the ropes.
The referee lectured La Femina for excessive holding in the fifth and in the latter stages of said round, Davies smells blood having pushed the Italian backwards against the ropes with a powerful overhand right hand.
An unanswered punch combo followed, and the referee duly waved it off.
Scarff stifles Essuman to snatch away his titles
116-113, 117-112, 115-113: Harry Scarff bt. Ekow Essuman via UD
- Scarff outworks Essuman to win British, Commonwealth, IBF European titles and inflicts defending champion’s first pro loss
- “It feels brilliant, that’s what it’s all about – the londsale belt and a few others to go with it. I’ve been avoided for a long time, fought for my opportunity and now? Ready for anything,” Scarff tells talkSPORT
- 30-year-old from Derby has responded well with five wins – this a new career-best – after consecutive UD10 defeats at 154lbs by Anthony Fowler (Nov. 2019) and Troy Williamson (August 2020)
A scrappy first round set the tone for a gritty victory and new champion crowned, as Harry Scarff outboxed Ekow Essuman and relished their physical exchanges more to prevail over twelve rounds. The bemusement was clear on the faces of Essuman’s camp after the decision was read out, but their man could have no complaints.
Essuman slipped early on against the ropes and that typified what was to come: immediately uncomfortable and on the back foot, dirty boxing only hindered him.
He began the third furiously landing bombs and got the better of their gritty exchanges, Scarff suddenly stumbled down and needed referee Howard Foster’s help to reset himself as the champion found his groove in the middle rounds.
Scarff found a second wind and caught him clean with a series of right hands midway through the sixth, in another strong stanza from the challenger, while Essuman picked up the pace but telegraphed his entries in round seven.
“Nick the round,” was head trainer Clifton Mitchell’s cry in Scarff’s corner in round eight, while urging crowd support as the former light-middleweight landed some eyecatching shots and welcomed their scrappy exchanges to wear on him.
Noticeably moving the 19-0 champion around more in the ninth, Foster was busy frequently separating them. Essuman evaded better and was more accurate in the tenth, but Scarff finished the final two rounds on top and was a deserved winner.
Collins prevails in competitive clash vs. hometown hopeful
114-114, 115-113 x 2: Nathaniel Collins bt. Zak Miller via majority decision
- 27-year-old Scottish southpaw successfully retains British, Commonwealth featherweight titles
- In pulsating duel between two 13-0 boxers, defending champion emerges victorious despite revealing he struggled with unspecified pre-fight injury
The evening’s first televised fight, the sheer speed difference between this and the previous two prelims was as if you were watching a different sport.
Miller trying to go first where possible, Collins countering him but it’ll be interesting to see how this is judged – such a partisan crowd and understandably so, given Miller is a Mancunian and his fans cheering every step of the way.
Miller edged the first on activity and optics, Collins getting a bit overzealous trying to return fire too quickly. The champion boxed better in the second, exercising patience and landing clean while forcing the 26-year-old backwards but Miller had moments of success too, namely a check left hook.
The third was another competitive round, Collins leading the dance but Miller countering well and finishing strong with some slick defence in the final half-minute.
He continued that into the fourth, though Collins stung him with right hands and again the challenger enjoyed a better finish to the round – everyone sensed that.
Collins responded as you’d expect in the fifth, landing rights and cute work in the pocket as Miller’s nose was increasingly cherry red and his face wearing the damage, gamely firing back with his own.
The difference in their punch power was surmised by a sequence in the sixth: Collins digging to the body and unloading twos and threes, Miller’s resistance was good but not enough to impact him the same way.
The referee repeatedly warned them for leading with their forearm in the clinch, but you got a sense Miller’s end-of-round flurries weren’t sustainable as we entered the fight’s second-half.
Collins was following Miller, rather than cutting off the ring, to start the seventh. He landed a nice one-two that propelled the challenger forward into his shoulders, before a sneaky uppercut through the guard came afterwards.
Into the eighth they went, 4-3 either way an understandable scorecard. Collins got a stern warning from the referee for rabbit punching in the clinch, then was overeager to try atoning for that mistake as Miller counterpunched well.
“Stay switched on,” was the audible cry from the Miller camp as he got a little lazy and the champion outworked him for the remainder of another competitive stanza.
Digging uppercuts to the body had Miller on the back foot, before connecting on some single shots of his own which had Collins’ attention as they were happy trading leather in the ninth.
Remember how I was unsure whether Zak would be able to steal rounds with consistency earlier on? Well, he was certainly doing a good job trying in the tenth.
R11 resembled somewhat of a scrappy grappling match, and both entered the final round unsure of the scorecards given how many of their rounds were close.
Miller messied some of his better work by clinching after landing combinations or a stinging single shot, though Collins was content absorbing those flurries and fired back with his own too. A fitting end to an enthralling contest over 12 rounds, it would sting even more than normal being a loser of a firefight like this one.
Akbar, Thompson log six-round victories
- Callum Thompson improves to 8-0 at lightweight after opening the card with six-round decision win
- Amaar Akbar now 6-0 after 60-54 points victory against 48-fight veteran Christian Lopez Flores in second bout of non-televised portion
In the evening’s opener at lightweight, Callum Thompson started purposefully and threatened a stoppage on a handful of occasions against Joshua Ocampo – who knew how to largely stay out of trouble, despite absorbing some powerful uppercuts and body work upon occasion.
He chained together his attacks better in the fifth, the right side of Ocampo’s face bruising in real-time, but couldn’t sustain that work often enough as they went into a sixth with more of the same before a 60-54 scorecard was read out.
As the 25-year-old was doing his post-fight piece to camera, Christian Lopez Flores was literally climbing into the ring alongside him. Amaar Akbar got a big pop from his friends and family behind press row, setting the tone for a busier affair in spots but ultimately another six-round contest at light-welterweight.
Amaar led with his jab, body work followed that but you felt he needed to be more active with his punch output to really bother Flores. He landed a nice left hand in the third, whipping rights and an uppercut in the latter stages of that round while staying defensively responsible – the Mexican not offering much resistance back.
Round four began with some controversy, Akbar landed a counter left hand that appeared to drop Flores on first viewing, though the referee quickly ruled it a slip, deeming he lost his footing before the punch had landed.
“It’s not a wrestling match,” was the cry from Akbar’s fans behind me as their man continued backing up the Mexican and edged ever closer to the target, but needed to be cautious in doing so.
The referee twice warned Akbar for punching low later in the same stanza but those lectures fell on deaf ears as Flores complained and needed to navigate his way out of danger in the fifth as the Yorkshire youngster began well with clean counters.
He gave his fans something to shout about early in the sixth, landing a promising punch flurry to push Flores backwards into the ropes, but you just wish this intensity could’ve been applied three rounds earlier. It wasn’t, Flores saw those attacks coming, and rode punches well enough to go the distance.
60-54 the scorecard reads in his second six-round contest, he’ll learn lessons from that in terms of energy conservation and pacing if nothing else.
Picture source: Queensberry via Stephen Dunkley
Mo and Sports 