Nathan Heaney belongs to a time and space separate from boxing. On Saturday, Heaney defended his British middleweight title when his fight with Brad Pauls was declared a split draw. Heaney was the champion, which means he retained the title. The pair could meet again outdoors in Stoke City in June.
In the week before the first bell rang in Birmingham, Heaney handed over 2,000 tickets to Stoke's loyal fans. He went door to door over several nights. On Saturday night, they brought Heaney to the ring to sing his spine-chilling version of “Delilah.” He went to them. They came to get him.
Simply calling Heaney a throwback misses the essential detail and charm of this man. He won the title last November in Manchester, defeating heavy favorite and champion Denzel Bentley. It was the British boxing shock of the year. Saturday's game will definitely be a strong contender for the game of the year. Heaney is delivering magic.
“I’m just a kid from Stoke trying my best,” he said. “I'm honored that so many people came to support me.”
Heaney sports a stunning '70s mustache in homage to his father and has fought his way from obscurity and small halls to becoming the centerpiece of events. He was never backed by a major promoter. The support of a television company to fund his dream. He didn't have the luxury of a matchmaker who could guarantee he would never lose. Heaney comes from the wrong side of the boxing road. The truth is that his brilliant ring-in to 'Delilah', who is probably the best in the world right now, is his selling point, not the possibility of him winning and retaining the British title one day.
Heaney, now 34 and unbeaten in 19 matches, will spend this summer leading his beloved Stoke City faithful as he sings his way to the ring for a title fight. We might have Pauls in the opposite corner, which would be a good thing. Now, Heaney is living the dream life, the boxing fairy tale every child dreams of living. Heaney was at Stoke on a rainy Tuesday, leaving Millwall at 10pm. He's a fan, believe me.
Saturday's 11th round got off to a perfect start with Heaney leading on all three scorecards at that point and a thrilling end to the fight from the opening bell. Pauls captures and injures Heaney, forcing him to desperately grab and hold onto the Potteries' idol. Seconds were contested and Heaney fought back, doing the same in the 12th. No one was sitting in the old NEC.
The two eventually collapsed into each other's arms, both bruised and cut, and both covered in blood. They stood anxiously as the scores were read out. Heaney scored 116-113, Pauls scored 115-114, and the final score was 114-114. Split draw, Heaney retains Lonsdale's belt and Pauls should receive a rematch.
Heaney thought he had done enough. The Pauls want to do it all again. “It’s not that I don’t like Nathan, I just want his belt,” Pauls said. The crowd continued to sing. Promoter Frank Warren kept his cool and didn't reveal much. “Let's give Nathan a week off and then we'll sit down and talk,” he said. While Heaney is an unlikely hero, he is also an obvious one. He may be a well-worn cliché, but Heaney truly is a man of the people.
Former British champion Felix Cash and fellow former British champion Chris Eubank Jr. may be better middleweights. I can't imagine Cash or Eubank Jr. knocking on doors at your local municipal property and delivering tickets. And Bentley could win a rematch with Heaney. By the way, Bentley is a local idol in Battersea. These assumptions mean nothing because Heaney has given British boxing a strange boost with his huge beard and old-fashioned way of promoting himself and his thousands of traveling fans. there is no. He's the guy who knocks on your door, but it's a throwback to him. He's also the guy next to him, which is gold in boxing terms.
