Heaney vs Pauls Predictions: Pauls can pull off the upset in rematch

British middleweight champion Nathan Heaney defends his title against Brad Pauls for the second time this Saturday, July 20. The pair contested the famous Lonsdale belt back in March, with the fight ending in a draw. Now the 160-pound pair return to the scene of that battle, the Birmingham Resorts World Arena, to settle the score. TNT Sports 1 will screen this championship rematch as part of Queensberry’s latest Magnificent Seven card.

Here are my Heaney vs Pauls predictions ahead of this closely-contested rematch.

Last time these men met, I picked Heaney to win by decision. I stand by my reasoning at the time. Their skill-sets pointed to a distance fight rather than a stoppage. Heaney’s win over Denzel Bentley remains more significant than anything Pauls has achieved so far. All signs pointed to Heaney nicking it on points.

Well now we have far more to go on. 12 rounds more, to be exact. These men have demonstrated exactly how their styles and experiences match-up. The answer? Extremely closely. Genuinely closely too. In a boxing landscape that is all too quick to cry “Robbery!”, there were precious few observers who felt the draw was unfair.

So how do we separate two men who look to be a perfect match for one another in fistic terms? One thing did become clear and that was the capacity for a stoppage. While I correctly assumed the fight would go the distance, it did not arrive at the closing bell smoothly. 

Heaney went looking for Pauls at the opening bell, winging in shots from the first minute. The challenger responded in kind in the second. By the fourth both men were tagging each other frequently. From that point on, every shot was thrown with ill intentions. These men were looking for war.

In the eighth, Pauls had Heaney reeling. The champion’s mouthpiece came out. A genuine accident or the oldest trick in boxing’s mighty tome? You decide, but it bought Heaney precious time. The savagery continued all the way to the 12th, where Heaney’s kip-up after being pushed to the ground brought the house down. A special end to a special fight.

Their brutal first fight suggested that both Heaney and Pauls had it in them to close the show. The fact neither did was a testament to their toughness, but watching it back you certainly get the idea that one of these men could finish the other. 

Saying that, after unloading their best shots on one another for 36 minutes, perhaps they are destined for the distance once again. The pattern of the fight saw the power dynamic favour Pauls, who rocked Heaney in a way the champion could not replicate. But Heaney outboxed his challenger in many of the rounds. As rematches go, this is as close as they come.

Nathan Heaney vs Brad Pauls Fight Odds

Heaney is 1/2 to retain his title this time with Pauls behind at 17/10. Another draw is priced at 16/1. Not a bad bet at all considering how well-matched these two are.

Nathan Heaney vs Brad Pauls Full Card

Nathan Heaney vs. Brad Pauls for British middleweight title 

Ashley Lane vs. Andrew Cain for British bantamweight title 

Chantelle Cameron vs. Elhem Mekhaled; Super-lightweight 

Owen Cooper vs. Ekow Essuman; Welterweight 

Ezra Taylor vs. Carlos Lamela; Light-heavyweight 

Zach Parker vs. Jack Arnfield; Super-middleweight 

Sol Dacres vs. Michael Webster; Heavyweight 

Bradley Thompson vs. Stephen Jackson; Super-flyweight

Nathan Heaney vs Brad Pauls Prediction

Something about the way Heaney reacted to those shots in the eighth has me fearing for his title. The titlist looked hurt as his corner took their time to replace his gumshield. I think Heaney is an excellent boxer, but at times Pauls struck him at will.

I feel Pauls’ irrepressible forward momentum will carry him through here. Those big shots will land once more and this time, the fortuity of a loose mouthguard will not save Heaney’s hard-earned championship. I am going for Pauls by stoppage at 4/1.

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