Nathan Heaney exclusive: It’s time to remind people how good I am
Nathan Heaney will be a man on a mission on Saturday night.
Since the British middleweight champion’s exciting but disappointing draw with Brad Pauls in March, Britain’s 160lb division has moved on and Heaney’s rivals in the Queensberry stable have all pushed their own causes forward.
Hamzah Sheeraz is now one of the world’s brightest stars and will fight European champion, Tyler Denny, at Wembley Stadium in September whilst Denzel Bentley got back to winning ways with a spectacular knockout of his own.
Heaney has put the disappointment of missing out on a stadium fight at the home of his beloved Stoke City behind him and is intent on reminding people just who he is and what he is capable of when he faces Pauls in a rematch this weekend. For all the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.
“I’m an undefeated British champion”
“I said to my coach Steve Woodvine, I’m a very humble person when it comes to things but it’s time to stand on a hill and remind Frank Warren that I’m his best middleweight, regardless of who else is around,” Heaney, 18-0-1 (6 KOs), told 32Red.
“I’m an undefeated British champion. I’ve beaten some very good lads along the way and I’m a big ticket seller. I’ve got to put a good performance on and remind them all.”
Heaney and Paul both vehemently believe that they deserved to have their hand raised after the thrilling first fight. Heaney boxed well over the first half and seemed to be well on his way to a comfortable defence of his titles until Pauls badly hurt him in round eight. From that point on, the fight became a thrilling war. Heaney pulled himself together but was rocked again in the eleventh and the pair traded shots until the final bell.
Heaney admits that he was hurt during the fight but believes that the two spectacular rounds that Pauls enjoyed have skewed peoples memories of what actually took place.
“I’ve watched it back a number of time now just to make sure that the way I was judging it in my head wasn’t too far wrong. It wasn’t,” he said.
“I was very unlucky to get a draw. I was outlanding him in every single round. Did he have two good, strong rounds? He did. I didn’t go down though, so it’s still 10-9 round. I honestly don’t know how it was a draw and how one judge deemed me to be a loser. Hey ho, it’s one of them isn’t it?
“He hurt me – then didn’t know what to do”
“Anyone in the division can hit with 10oz gloves on. I saw something where he said he knows he can hurt me. That’s true. But I also know that when he did hurt me he didn’t know what to do.
“The fact of the matter is that if you’re in with a Carlos Adames, a Liam Smith or a Denzel Bentley, if they catch you and you’re hurt then there’s a very high chance that you aren’t making it out of that round. Take all the solace you want from thinking you can hurt me. Back in the day, that Argentinean [Diego Ramirez] that beat Bradley Skeete put me on my arse. I still beat him.”
Whilst everybody knows about Heaney’s underdog story and his support of Stoke City, many may not know about his love of curry and how he continues to eat his favourite things right through his training camps.
Whilst some fighters celebrate making weight with the same enthusiasm they would show after winning a world title, Heaney stays in shape all year round. Rather than treating the first weeks of serious training as a weight watchers camp, when he does kick his preparation up a gear he needs the extra calories to fuel his workouts.
Whilst Heaney’s method flies in the face of the typical tales we hear about fighters forcing themselves through the mill to make weight, it is clear to anybody who watched him box 36 perfect minutes against Denzel Bentley or survive the final few rounds against Pauls that the 35-year-old isn’t cutting any corners.
“It depends. I could have two [a week],” Heaney laughed when talking about his love of a curry. “The mistake fighters make is that in-between fights, they put too much weight on. When they do have a fight, they have to restrict their food so all they’ve got is cravings after a fight so they stack it on again.
“I like curries and triple cheeseburgers, but I’m lean!”
“I’m lean all the time so when my training ramps up, I need 4,000 calories a day. I ain’t getting that with chicken, rice and broccoli. No chance. I’m getting my triple cheeseburgers from McDonalds and my curries. It’s all about getting my calories in and calories out. As long as my protein levels are high, you can have whatever you want.
“I am lean. I’m probably one of the most in shape athletes in boxing. I’m in shape, my physique is always bang on and my engine’s always great. I’m doing something right.”
Whilst the exciting first fight proved that anything can happen at any moment when two top level fighters share the ring, it proved to Heaney that his chances of winning increase dramatically if he controls the things he is able to. This weekend, expect him to be in exceptional condition and solely focused on beating Pauls and establishing himself as one of the main players on the British middleweight scene.
“My trainer Steve’s just said to do what I do, listen to him and everything else will follow on from there. I’m the British middleweight champion. Let’s just keep going. It wasn’t through luck, it was through a great performance.
“I know what I’m capable of. I’m a big, strong middleweight. I’ve got a great engine on me and I’ve got good ability. It’s about showing it. Whatever happens after that happens and I can build to a big 2025 but it’s about doing what I need to do and I will be switched on.”
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