Promoter Frank Warren has promised that the latest edition of his ‘Magnificent Seven’ series will be a classic.
The bout will be headlined by British middleweight champion Nathan ‘Hitman’ Heaney 18-0 (6) defending his belt for the first time against Brad ‘The Newquay Bomb’ Pauls 18-1 (10) at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England on Saturday night.
The 34-year-old Heaney from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire scored a breakthrough win in his last bout when he scored a majority decision victory over Denzel Bentley 18-3-1 (15) at Manchester Arena in November.
The 30-year-old Pauls, who was hails from Newquay, Cornwall but resides in Harlow, Essex, won the vacant English middleweight title by eighth-round knockout against previously undefeated Mitchell Frearson 9-1-1 (1) at York Hall in Bethnal Green last September.
“It’s got the ingredients of a fantastic fight,” Queensberry Promotions boss Warren said. “They’re both superbly prepared for the fight, I’ve spoken to both and they both fancy their chances and I think you’re gonna get a classic.
“The atmosphere is gonna be electric and it’s going to be about who imposes himself on this fight and who really gets going fast and commands the ring. That in itself is going to be interesting for me. No doubt about it, you’re gonna get a classic. Styles make fights and these styles will make a fight.”
Pauls has embraced the role of the villain for this fight, something he says he enjoys.
“It was like destiny getting booed for the first time in my last fight [against Mitchell Frearson],” Pauls said. “I quite enjoyed it in a weird way.
“I fully understand that I’m going to be the villain on Saturday night, that’s absolutely fine with me. I’ve got 151 Cornish coming up – it’s got nothing on Nathan’s 2,000 – but I’m sure they’ll be noisy. It’s all energy and how you use it and I’ll use it in my favour and give it everything I’ve got.”
Pauls is two fights removed from his lone professional loss on points to Tyler Denny 18-2-3 (1) at Wembley Arena in London in February last year.
“Denny was my first loss and it was a massive, massive lesson learned,” Pauls said.
“I’ve improved and come back and added to my camp and I think everything [happens] for a reason because that has set me up perfectly for Saturday night.
“I have to remind myself that I’m the British champ, I’m always striving to be better.
“The fact of the matter is that when we step into that ring on Saturday night, that belt gets taken away from me anyway. Whatever the result is, I’ll get it back or lose it so technically it doesn’t exist at this moment in time for me.”
He added: “I expect a very, very well-prepared fighter but the minimum expectation is that you are in incredible fitness and shape and like he said, our styles might work together and make a great fight but we won’t know that until the night. But we’re both very ready.”