By Matt Bozeat
“FOR the past few years, I have been saying: ‘I will give it one more year,’” stated the British middleweight champion. But I preserve profitable!
“This year really is a bonus. I have already done everything I wanted. The next few fights will be fun and hopefully I can make some decent money.”
Nathan Heaney has at all times been good enjoyable.
The bare-chested singalong to Tom Jones anthem Delilah on his stroll to the ring has had greater than one million views and he was warned by a referee for singing throughout his struggle with Christopher Schembri in hometown of Stoke-on-Trent in March 2020. So, singing, sure. But when it got here to combating, nicely, it took a very long time earlier than everybody was satisfied.
“People seem to have this perception that I’m not very good for some reason,” stated the chatty and sincere 34-year-old. “I have been competing for nearly two decades and I’m improving. If you look at the fight behind closed doors (against Ryan Oliver in February, 2021) I’m levels above that now. I’m holding my shape better, not getting caught by as many silly shots.”
Heaney was adequate final November to pull off what Boxing News known as British boxing’s ‘Upset of the Year.’ He sank to his knees and wept tears of pleasure at the Manchester Arena after dethroning British champion Denzel Bentley on a majority factors vote. “Nobody thought I would beat Bentley,” stated Heaney, “but I knew Steve would come up with something.”
Steve is Steve Woodvine, Heaney’s coach from the begin of his professional profession, and he grew to become a social media star himself in the aftermath of Nathan’s win. Broadcasters TNT Sport put collectively a compilation of Woodvine’s in-between rounds cajoling that had 600,000 views on their Twitter web page.
Heaney and Woodvine first labored collectively in Heaney’s final novice bout, a defeat to Zach Parker in the Staffordshire remaining of the 2015 ABA Championship. Woodvine was – and nonetheless is – head coach of Orme Amateur Boxing Club and handed up to Heaney’s coach Danny Johnson throughout the Parker bout.
“I was boxing for Stoke Staffs,” stated Heaney, “and (coach) Dave Buxton didn’t have a professional licence.
“I knew Steve had Luke Caci and he’s one of my best mates, so when I filled in the form to apply to be a professional and got to the section where it asked who my coach was, I wrote ‘Steve Woodvine’ before I had even asked him.”
Woodvine went together with the thought and Heaney’s professional profession began at the grandly titled Imperial Banqueting Suite in Bilston in November 2017, with a factors win over Daryl Sharp.
The Kings Hall in Stoke would turn out to be Heaney’s house venue. Heaney would say his struggle nights there have been “the best night out in Stoke” and if the locals’ thought of a very good night time out concerned noise, ardour and drama, Heaney by no means disenchanted.
He would have his wobbles – particularly early in fights – however each time, he pulled by means of over 10 rounds till supervisor Errol Johnson handed him over to Queensberry Promotions. They have discovered that Heaney’s supporters have adopted him to Telford, Birmingham and Manchester.
“Stoke people are good people,” stated Heaney, seemingly at all times excitable. “They have good hearts and will follow whatever makes the city proud.”
Times have been arduous in the space referred to as the six cities – Hanley, Burslem, Fenton, Stoke, Longton, and Tunstall – as the delight as soon as felt in the pottery trade that put the metropolis’s identify round the world has vanished with the closure of the kilns and an understaffed police drive have struggled to deal with issues, together with what chiefs have described as “a monkey dust epidemic.”
Heaney is aware of all of the above and tries to make his struggle nights as reasonably priced as attainable. “When I get a date, I privately message the guys who regularly buy off me,” he stated, “and when it’s introduced, I share it (on social media). They all purchase their tickets off me instantly.
“I strive to make it as straightforward as attainable and as low-cost as attainable. If they’re travelling, I put up their tickets first-class recorded supply and each different ticket I drop off individually to their house deal with.
“I try to do two postcodes a day and there are around 40-50 drops in each postcode. I don’t do bulk drop offs. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy it. I keep going back to the same houses. I see where they come from.”
In return, his supporters get the greatest model of Heaney, each time he fights. The bulk of Heaney’s supporters comply with Stoke City Football Club and he is aware of need they count on for his or her cash.
“I don’t mind us losing 4-0 as long as I know the players have put their heart and soul into it,” he stated. “I know that if I put my heart and soul into boxing, it might not be enough to make me a world champion, but my supporters will always be with me.”
His supporters have already seen Heaney win Midlands and British honours, the win over Bentley making him solely the third British champion from Stoke, after Tommy Harrison and the late Chris Edwards.
“I just knew I was going to win,” stated Heaney. “Steve watched him and stated: ‘If you hold your feet against him, he will punch holes in you. ‘Janibek’ (Zhanibek Alimkhanuly) used his toes for six rounds (towards Bentley in a WBO title defence in November, 2022) and it wasn’t aggressive, however as soon as his nook advised him to push him again Bentley got here again into it.
“Steve said: ‘Move your feet’ and in the first round I knew what he was saying was right. I remember thinking: ‘I don’t think he can close me down.’ There was one round where Steve said: ‘You’re moving, but not hitting’ and I started throwing more.”
Heaney threw – and landed – sufficient to be forward at the remaining bell by six and three factors on two of the playing cards, with the third choose having them degree.
Nathan Heaney lands a jab on Denzel Bentley
“The odds made it sweeter,” stated Heaney, married to Louise and a father to Ava (seven) and Isabella (two).
“It’s not as if I didn’t beat a legitimate British champion. There are easy fights for the British title and then there’s Denzel Bentley. If you look at the top 25 middleweights in Britain, there are some good fighters there. Denzel has to be near the top – and I beat him. I have more belief in myself now.”
Next for Heaney is a British title defence, pencilled in for March and, supplied he wins that, there’s the chance of a world title problem this summer season at the Bet365 Stadium, house of his beloved Stoke City FC.
The goal is Alimkhanuly, who added the IBF belt to the WBO title with a factors win over Vincenzo Gualtieri final October. “’Janibek’ isn’t a massive draw and I don’t think he gets massive pay days,” stated Heaney. “He may get one if he got here to Stoke this summer season. I do know there have been talks…
“If I fought him at the football ground, it would be the craziest dream ever coming true. If I can do that, anyone can do anything. I get messages from Kazakhstan every two or three days saying: ‘’Janibek’ will knock you out’ and I know it would be tough.”
Heaney leaves it there.
Four and a half years earlier, Heaney was equally evasive when the native press identified to him what number of fighters had used the Midlands Area middleweight title as a stepping stone to a shot at British honours.
“Every year (as an amateur) I used to say: ‘I will win the ABAs,’” stated Heaney, “and it by no means occurred.
“So what’s the point in saying what you’re going to do? You just have to believe in yourself. I would rather be cautious than shout about what I’m going to do.”
The furthest Heaney acquired in his 90-bout novice profession was a silver medal at the 2012 Haringey Box Cup.
“If you look at my amateur pedigree, you would think: ‘He will never be a British champion,’” admitted Heaney. “But the experience I gained was very important. I have seen every single style there is.”
Whatever occurs in his first British-title defence and past, Heaney says he is aware of the place his story will finish.
“My last fight will be at the Kings Hall,” he stated, “and it will be very loud.”
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