BOXING fans may have a sense of deja vu on Saturday night as Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena once more stages a couple of tantalizing British title fights.
Just 126 days on from their first meeting, middleweight champion Nathan Heaney and challenger Brad Pauls aim to settle the score once and for all after the judges failed to find a winner back in March.
Plus, newly-minted bantamweight champ Ashley Lane makes the first defence of his Lonsdale belt and Commonwealth crown in a fiery encounter with Andrew Cain.
THE RETURN
After upsetting the odds to snatch the British title away from Denzel Bentley in November, Heaney, 35, walked to the ring as the favourite four months ago.
But in similar fashion to his own breakout display, Pauls rose to the occasion and revelled in silencing the champion’s rambunctious travelling Stoke fanbase.
Roared on by his own support who travelled north in numbers, ‘The Newquay Bomb’ came on strong in the latter stages to earn a split draw with none of the officials in agreement over the outcome.
Heaney, now 18-0-1, hopes shedding the Movember moustache that brough him luck against Bentley but reflected a hungover performance against Pauls is the mental switch he needs to pick up his first true defence.
Whilst the 18-1-1 challenger has to approach the rematch as if round one is round 13 and pick up where he left off inside the same ring in March.
THE FLASH
Ashley Lane’s rise to British and Commonwealth honours has been nothing short of remarkable.
A pro since the age of 20, now 33 his 18-10-2 record has more of an MMA look about it than boxing.
But it’s testament to the tenacity of the champion that he’s fought back from so many setbacks – both inside and outside the ring – to enjoy his time at the top.
Unbeaten since 2020, the Northampton native, who traditionally relies on workrate over power, has even stopped his last two opponents, including upsetting the odds in March when stopping Chris Bourke in six rounds at York Hall.
Afterwards, Lane said: “My life’s been up and down, I’ve been homeless a few times… It’s been brutal, but look what I’ve made of myself.”
But boxing is relentless business and Lane has been handed an unsympathetic test for his first defence in the form of Liverpool mauler Andrew Cain.
The 27-year-old has stopped all but one opponent in 11 wins, with a single defeat to previously world ranked Ionut Baluta last year being the only blemish.
That defeat, a split points decision, started with Cain dropping the Romanian in the opening round. But he punched himself out, got dropped himself in the ninth, and paid the price for in-ring naivety.
He’s a better fighter for that experience.
AND NEW?
Most fight fans will be hoping Lane can extend his stay as champion a little longer, after all who could deny his story deserves it?
But Cain back down at bantamweight hits far too hard and is far too aggressive for this fight to go the full 12 rounds.
Heaney and Pauls promises to be a lot more technical and will likely need the judges opinions once more. But I’d expect the experienced champion to come with something a little different this time around and pick up enough rounds throughout to come through smiling.
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