Brad Pauls’ persistence saw him score two knockdowns and swarm Nathan Heaney to become the new British middleweight champion. Chantelle Cameron was classy in her Queensberry debut while Andrew Cain’s concussive power saw him unify bantamweight titles – after Ekow Essuman’s thrilling comeback knockout against Owen Cooper to win WBO European welterweight gold.
Pauls produces career-best display in Heaney rematch
R12, 0:54 — Brad Pauls bt. Nathan Heaney (c) to become the new British, WBA Continental middleweight champion
- Pauls’ power and improved confidence during rematch prove decisive in becoming first Cornish-born fighter to win British honours since 1939
- Heaney suffers first pro career defeat after two knockdowns – one in the fourth and again in final round take their toll for proud 35-year-old Stokie
- Respect: Pauls insists he’s open to settling the score with a trilogy after Heaney gave him the shot following their hard-fought majority draw four months earlier but will do whatever promoter Frank Warren wants next
RESORTS WORLD ARENA, BIRMINGHAM — Nathan Heaney would’ve had a world middleweight title shot by now, if the stars aligned in his favour that night four months ago. They didn’t though, and instead he was headlining once again against an opponent who departed their first contest more emboldened than expected.
Heaney assured me backstage post-fight that display was merely an off-night, a byproduct of getting drawn into a scrap and not always listening to his coaches. He still believed he did enough to win rather comfortably in a competitive clash, though guilty of flirting with danger far too many times as his recovery powers were tested.
This time needed to be different given his ambitions, especially knowing how much has already shifted at 160lbs domestically since mid-March. It certainly was.
The champion conceded centre ring early, Pauls pressing the action, though the most noteworthy action came towards the end of a tense first round when Heaney landed an uppercut and briefly pinned Pauls in the corner.
The vocal Stoke support stirred in anticipation, though it was a false dawn. Pauls was consciously looking to be more measured defensively as they exchanged jabs, maintaining a high guard and reducing the openings for Heaney to hit him clean.
Right on cue, the challenger landed two clever left hands which got a demonstrative response – that act of showmanship acknowledging the target had been rattled.
He did the same early in round three, the left landing again as he flickered a few power combos when the openings arose. Heaney came back fleetingly with attacks of his own, though Pauls had reason to be encouraged and his support team knew.
Heaney landed a right which made Pauls react as if he’d been bitten a minute into the fourth, but Pauls was clubbing lefts and peppering the champion with more body work and jabs as his own Newquay supporters were growing excited ringside.
They had even more reason to celebrate after seeing their man score a knockdown in the final minute, a lovely right hand flush which felt long overdue four months in the making, given how many haymakers he threw without reward first time around.
Heaney was proving easy to counter and not defensively elusive either, so while he regained his bearings in the fifth, wasn’t firing back often enough to deter the challenger – evidenced by a fiery sequence midway through the sixth where Pauls’ clubbing rights found their mark with repeated effectiveness.
Into the second-half now and Heaney was feeling the pace far more at this stage than their first encounter, aware he needed an uptick in urgency and rather sharpish. He started the round well at mid-range, but Pauls would’ve felt like he couldn’t miss with the right as he consistently fired back and landed the more punishing flurries.
The eighth was more of the same, Heaney’s work messy and Pauls content to let the referee tick him off for excessive holding whenever he felt danger up close as the challenger forced the issue with sustained success.
Carl Frampton on the TNT Sports analyst desk said he felt Pauls could still be busier with four rounds still to go though he was largely in control at that stage, and Heaney replied by having the better of their nip-and-tuck exchanges in the ninth.
Pauls’ right was again finding its mark to start round ten, as Heaney’s head trainer Steve Woodvine slapped the ring canvas in frustration seeing his charge being caught too easily, limited head movement and plodding footwork the cause.
Heaney cracked the challenger with a nice counter in the last half-minute of that round though it was clear by this stage: he needed a strong finish to retain his title. Would he be brave enough, or could Pauls’ persistence pay off this time around?
Pauls was swinging from the hip more freely in the 11th, perhaps aware this was another closely-contested duel and difficult to score like the first, so unleashed a flurry of punches with Heaney pinned against the ropes after more counters.
That foreshadowed a frenzied finish early in the finale, Pauls unloading furious power combos before Heaney’s body failed him. Dropped a second time, he probably could’ve beaten the referee’s ten count but was an exhausted competitor and soundly second best as this night saw the crowning of a new titleholder.
Cain calculated and clinical as he stops Lane
Andrew Cain was savvy and spiteful as he continued his comeback trail with a fifth-round TKO win (1:47) over Ashley Lane to claim the British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles in the evening’s co-main event. 16 months removed from a split decision defeat by Ionut Baluta, the power-punching Scouse was cunningly patient.
After a tense opening round where both tried asserting themselves as the early aggressor, Lane often whipped shots early at mid and short-range trying to stifle Cain’s work up close. Theoretically it made sense, but in practice it looked rather sloppy and left himself wide open defensively.
Cain countered him clean and connected on the best work through three rounds, as tension heightened, wondering much longer Lane’s chin would withstand such damage. He spat his mouthguard out after eating a big combination in the fourth, and that sequence foreshadowed a destructive end in the following stanza.
An unanswered combo scored a knockdown early in round five, Cain stinging his defences with a variety – body, head, body – punching. Then a right hand, timed to perfection, pierced through Lane’s guard and the heavy underdog was out on his feet as the towel was mercifully thrown in after Cain crunched him with a big body shot.
Cameron conquers Mekhaled after 20 bruising minutes
Undisputed light-welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron used overwhelming volume punching and body work to bruising effect as she marked her Queensberry debut with an entertaining MD10 victory (95-95, 98-92, 99-91) over France’s Elhem Mekhaled, winning the WBC’s interim world title at 140lbs.
Mekhaled, who boxed Alycia Baumgardner for undisputed at 130lbs in February last year, was noticeably smaller having come up two weight divisions and didn’t use her perceived speed advantages well as she was repeatedly stung in the early rounds.
An inspired flurry from the Frenchwoman in the pocket got everyone’s attention in the final half-minute of round four though, as she bit down on her mouthguard and swung for the fences with both were willing to trade power shots up close.
Cameron landed a sneaky uppercut and more hooks in the sixth, before easing up a touch as time wore on and their intense exchanges had clearly taken a physical toll.
She was again the aggressor in the eighth, Mekhaled forcing the issue and having more urgency in the final four minutes emptying the tank against a motivated former titleholder who’d already built up a sizable lead and wasn’t going to loosen her grip.
Essuman rallies to stop Cooper in thriller
Ekow Essuman survived a ninth-round knockdown, having expended energy aplenty in scoring one three rounds earlier, en route to a dramatic final-round stoppage win over Owen Cooper to seize the WBO European welterweight title in a frantic firefight.
It was competitive from the opening bell as both boxers enjoyed success in stages, first Essuman then Cooper and vice versa with neither willing to cede position as they wanted the final say in fiery exchanges. Judging ringside would be a headache.
Cooper countered well off the back foot in the third, Essuman began the fourth better with some swarming volume punching before Cooper was again undeterred by the pressure and caught him clean. Ekow smiled in acknowledgement, aware he’d need to produce a lot more to get the Worcestershire man out of there.
Uppercuts and body punching in the corner was the trend during round five as referee Bob Williams studiously let them work, Essuman had to take a backwards step twice after clubbing shots and a right escaped through the high defensive guard.
If he wasn’t surging with confidence before, Cooper certainly was through 15 minutes but that belief had evaporated in the final minute of the sixth. Essuman unloaded a series of relentless combination punching with Cooper firing back, but pinned against the ropes, and the champion was saved by the bell after being dropped.
The onslaught continued into round seven and while Cooper did well to hang on, drastically became an hittable target. That didn’t bode well as Essuman’s pressure persisted on his chest, though the ninth had a surprising conclusion after both seemed more measured with their output and entries for two minutes prior.
An overhand right dropped Essuman, who fell heavy and had to weather the storm after eating a shot he didn’t see coming. Haymakers whizzed narrowly past his face as this fight hung in the balance heading into the final stanza – but not for long.
A left hand rocked Cooper on the spot and a fast flurry followed, as the now-former champion collapsed in a heap near the ring apron and this contest had a fitting end.
Rest of the card, featuring two more finishes
Dacres drops, stops Webster to retain title in rematch
English heavyweight champion Solomon Dacres let his hands go and retained his title in a short-notice Michael Webster rematch, eight months after a frustrating Queensberry debut left fans wanting more from a highly-touted contender.
A five-punch combo, started with the left hand seen above, was all she wrote for the Middlesbrough resident – who couldn’t see properly and squinted in discomfort after beating the ten-count before referee Kevin Parker wisely waved it off.
Originally slated to defend against former British challenger David Adeleye, who withdrew through an undisclosed training camp injury this month, the highly-regarded 30-year-old hasn’t translated widespread plaudits into showstopping performances yet and Webster proved himself a worthy adversary first time around.
The challenger again found a home for the jab and muddied their exchanges in the clinch but needed to be busier against a champion content boxing on the back foot.
Dacres’ right hand landed well in the fifth and started the sequence which dropped Webster, not long after the referee issued a stern warning for leading with his elbows in the clinch. Having been memorably deducted a point for leading with his forearm in their closely-fought first bout, that intervention seemed to spark him into life.
Webba responded well in the sixth, as you couldn’t help wondering why Dacres doesn’t throw more punches frequently. When he chains attacks together, they can be devastating – but he overextends and gets hit too much for comfort.
That fearsome power was on display in the seventh, en route to a welcome win against a short-notice opponent he’d already shared rounds with, but a timely confidence boost regardless. Queensberry CEO George Warren reiterated their desire to rebook the Adeleye bout later this year and that will answer some questions.
Parker packs a punch, and he needed to
After being dropped during a shaky showing last time out, super-middleweight contender Zach Parker produced an emphatic R4 TKO win (1:16) against former British middleweight challenger Jack Arnfield. The Derby man traded with Arnfield, both in the pocket and at distance but was having the better of their exchanges.
Just as you might’ve wondered whether this was a wise decision, given how Tyron Zeuge landed whenever he wanted to this time four months ago, you got your answer early in the fourth – the 35-year-old in a heap on the canvas. His second appearance after a six-year absence, Parker gladly pounced when he had him hurt.
A whipping right hand wobbled him, another sent him down and as his corner looked to potentially save their charge more damage during a puzzling exchange, he rose to his feet too quickly and was still on unsteady legs. The finish wasn’t far away.
Parker, much like Dacres, has his fair share of critics. This was a morale-boosting result and one the 30-year-old must build on as he looks to maintain consistency against better opposition, slowly manoevuring back towards world title contention.
Taylor passes tough test, but doesn’t make it easy
After a purposeful start behind his jab with patient body work, Ezra Taylor banked more rounds but flattered to deceive in securing the vacant WBC International light-heavyweight title via UD10 (97-93, 99-91, 99-91) against Carlos Alberto Lamela.
Granted, his opponent here was the Spanish and EBU Silver champion at 175lbs as he’s steadily being matched harder so this was never going to be a straightforward assignment but the Nottingham talent made things more difficult than needed.
Rushing in at times and getting caught, trading up close when it’d have been wise to keep his opponent at distance behind the jab, Lamela lamented being stung by some power shots but wasn’t worried by the threat firing back his way after a while.
Instead this became a slow-burn and while appearing to suffer a suspected broken nose midway through this contest, the 31-year-old made Taylor look rather unspectacular on an evening tailor-made for him to showcase his improvements.
Masoud keeps it moving
Shabaz Masoud stayed perfect and logged an eight-round decision win (80-70) over Marvin Solano, after twice threatening a stoppage and scoring a left hook knockdown in the opening round.
As he was introduced, you could hear a smattering of boos within the arena.
After all, he was expected to box Liam Davies in a domestic duel, before the champion withdrew after picking up a virus he couldn’t recover quickly enough from.
This was a stay-busy bout without much fanfare, make no mistake, but an important run out before the main course – presumably around November time. The pair angrily exchanged words ringside afterwards, ahead of a matchup bubbling up nicely in a deep division domestically as Davies plots seizing a second unbeaten record.
It was clear by round four here Shabaz wasn’t setting up his attacks behind the jab, but didn’t need to. Tagging Solano regularly as he stalked him around the ring and dug body attacks, you couldn’t help but gameplan how the dynamic would be much different against Davies – a twitchy opponent who packs a lot of power too.
Dismissive lefts wobbled Solano in the fifth, the Nicaraguan had a point deducted a round later as the left hand continued finding its target. Illegal shoulder strikes and more warnings came from an increasingly frustrated referee in Kevin Parker, but the 33-year-old did well to go the distance all things considered.
Solano roughed him up without much resistance, clipped the 28-year-old and made the clear favourite seem one-paced after absorbing his best work. He improved to 13-0 on his 2024 debut but there are some areas to clean up in the coming months.
Thompson does it for the Davies brothers
In the night’s opener at super-flyweight, Telford talent Bradley Thompson improved to 5-0 after ending a 27-month layoff with a four-round points win (40-36) over 53-fight journeyman Stephen Jackson. The younger brother of IBO world bantamweight champion Liam Davies, the 22-year-old grew into the contest after an iffy start.
Round three was his best, landing a nice left often and building up confidence as he chained combos together while making his overmatched opponent miss. Drawn into messy exchanges in the fourth, he ultimately couldn’t finish with a flourish.
Picture source: Queensberry / Stephen Dunkley unless stated
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