The Magnificent 7 II
Liam Davies will defend his IBO world super bantamweight title against Shabaz Masoud and Nathan Heaney will rematch Brad Pauls for the British middleweight title as part of another bumper Magnificent Seven production to be staged at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham on Saturday, 20 July, live on TNT Sports.
Featuring on what will be an action-packed night will be Queensberry new girl Chantelle Cameron, English heavyweight champion Sol Dacres up against David Adeleye, WBO European and English welterweight champion Owen Cooper taking on Ekow Essuman, British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion Ashley Lane defending against Liverpool firebrand Andrew Cain and a return to the ring for Commonwealth Silver light heavyweight champion Ezra Taylor.
Defending the IBO title he won in spectacular fashion against Erik Robles Ayala in March is Telford favourite Davies (17-0, 8), who enters into a domestic duel against unbeaten Stoke talent Masoud (12-0, 4), holder of the WBA Intercontinental title. British champion Heaney (18-0-1, 6 KOs) will play it again against the Newquay Bomb Pauls (18-1-1, 10), with the pair having fought to a captivating draw at the same arena in March with over 2,000 fans from Stoke in attendance.
Second time around success over Pauls would represent the next step of Heaney’s passion-fuelled mission to fulfil his middleweight
dreams. The vacant WBC Interim world super lightweight championship will be on the line for the Queensberry debut of former undisputed world champion Cameron (18-1, 8), who makes her return to the ring after being edged out in a majority decision in her rematch against Katie Taylor in Dublin in November of last year, having defeated the Irish legend in May.
Local heavyweight favourite Dacres (8-0, 2) will defend his English title for a second time against British title challenger David Adeleye (12-1, 11), the former WBO European champion, who was unsuccessful in his championship challenge against Fabio Wardley over in Riyadh in October of last year. It promises to be a fascinating heavyweight collision where both fighters will be bidding to nudge themselves towards the leading pack of the division.
WBO European and English welterweight champion Cooper (10-0,
4) from Worcester, fresh off a breakthrough stoppage of previously undefeated young rival Eithan James in March, takes on the challenge of the hugely experienced former British and Commonwealth champion Ekow Essuman (19-1, 7), who made four successful defences of the Lonsdale belt he won by defeating Chris Jenkins in July 2021.
A brutal encounter will be anticipated at bantamweight when British and Commonwealth champion Lane (18-10-2, 3) from Bristol defends his titles against the Liverpool knockout specialist Cain (11-1, 10), who returned to the ring earlier this month after recovering from a severe fracture to his hand. Lane, 33, comes into the fight following two brutal stoppage victories over English champion Jordan Purkiss and former WBC International champion Chris Bourke. Also featuring will be Nottingham’s hot light heavyweight champion prospect Taylor (8-0, 6) making a first defence of his title, plus three-time National champion Dan Kerrigan making his professional debut over four rounds at super lightweight. “The depth and quality of this fight card in Birmingham is unrivalled in this country,” stated promoter Frank Warren. “The Magnificent Seven concept is proving hugely popular and getting stronger each time. “The lucky fans who snap up the tickets for the Resorts World Arena on July 20 will be treated to seven seriously meaningful title fights with so much on the line for our Queensberry fighters. “Nathan Heaney rightly jumps back in with Brad Pauls following their hugely entertaining encounter last time out, which was declared a draw, with Liam Davies defending his IBO world title in a cracking domestic scrap against the highly-skilled Shabaz Masoud.
“We’ve got three really tasty scraps to feast our eyes on
with Sol Dacres and David Adeleye looking to make some serious noise at heavyweight and Owen Cooper vs Ekow Essuman has the makings of a welterweight barnstormer. Ashley Lane against Andrew Cain has, quite simply, got fight written all over it. “We will also get the chance to welcome one of the most exciting female fighters in the business, Chantelle Cameron, to the Queensberry ranks, plus the charismatic light heavyweight star in the making Ezra Taylor taking his next step towards stardom. “This is a fight night you really
shouldn’t miss.”
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WINS
18
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LOSES
1
-
DRAW
1
-
KOs
6
NathanHeaney
"Hitman"
In the months before the world was forced into inactivity by the pandemic, Nathan Heaney was basking in the online glory resulting from footage of his ring entrance finding its way across the globe.
To the strains of the Tom Jones classic ‘Delilah’, his (mostly) male voice choir from the Potteries serenaded the middleweight as he energetically strutted his way to the ring at the Kings Hall in his native Stoke-on-Trent.
To say the grainy video captured the imagination of the social media community would be an understatement. The next time Heaney, now 33, rocked up at the grand old venue, demand to be there in person had rocketed and this son of Stoke personally sold over 800 tickets – and the video library was duly bolstered in sharper focus.
The trouble was, just as the belting out of ‘Delilah’ was becoming a familiar fighting refrain, Covid-19 struck and boxing was put on pause.
Where would isolation and inactivity leave the developing but still formative fighting story of the charming and popular boxer who enjoys a mutual love with his local football team, Stoke City FC?
“The video changed my life massively,” confessed Heaney. “When it happened at the time I thought it was both amazing and incredible, but then Covid happened and I thought to myself ‘that’s it now, my career is just done’.”
His wheel of fortune then took another turn for the better when the ring walk crooner was saved from the sofa and signed by Frank Warren to fight under the Queensberry banner and perform live on BT Sport.
Tom Jones, Delilah, Stoke City, fan favourite, local boy made good are all part of the story, but what shouldn’t be omitted from the growing narrative is that Nathan Heaney can fight.
Unbeaten in 16 pro fights, Heaney was a late starter in the paid ranks but his business was always boxing. He just made a conscious decision to remain in the amateurs and learn the ropes for longer than is the norm these days.
Now he is closing in on his cherished dream of fighting for the British title on the hallowed turf of his second home at Stoke’s Bet365 Stadium.
Brad Pauls
"The Newquay Bomb"
The Newquay Bomb, Brad Pauls, is the British middleweight champion, having realised his career-long dream in July with a resounding late stoppage of previous champion Nathan Heaney in Birmingham, at the second attempt.
The pair fought to a thrilling draw in their original encounter at the same venue in March, with the Cornishman believing himself to have been hard done by on the scorecards.
The 31-year-old earlier reigned as English champion courtesy of an eighth round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Mitchell Frearson, having lost out on point in his opening attempt at winning the belt against Tyler Denny.
Before and since his Denny setback, Pauls has remained unbeaten and his maiden title success came in 2019 when he triumphed in a Southern Area championship match against Darren Cordona, before making a successful defence against Robbie Chapman.
Pauls turned professional in December 2015 and his record currently stands at 19-1-1 (11 KOs). In December he takes on Denzel Bentley with his British title, along with the European and WBO International belts on the line. The fight will also serve as an eliminator for a shot at the WBO world middleweight title.
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WINS
19
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LOSES
2
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DRAW
1
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KOs
11
Plus Full Undercard Featuring
Bantamweight
British & Commonwealth Bantamweight Championship
Super Lightweight
Vacant WBC Interim World Super-Lightweight Championship
Light Heavyweight
Vacant WBC International Light-Heavyweight Championship
Welterweight
WBO European Welterweight Championship
Featherweight
Super Flyweight
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