Heaney brings 1,500 fans to Telford show
Nathan Heaney…a truly phenomenal ticket seller
NATHAN Heaney is planning to beat Jack Flatley all ends up this time as the two prepare to lock horns again in a hotly-anticipated rematch.
Their follow-up comes at the Telford International Centre, as the BT Sport cameras broadcast live, on Saturday, March 25, with Frank Warren promoting.
They clashed for Heaney’s IBO International title in September, which ended with the champion cut above the right eye from a clash of heads.
That led to a technical decision, with just five out of 10 rounds gone, although the three judges still had to score the contest, as the injury was accidental.
Heaney, aged 33 and from Stoke, saw his hand raised with all of the officials, who had him up by tallies of 50-45 and 49-46 twice.
Now comes a sequel, with the vacant WBA Continental bauble now up-for-grabs, as unbeaten Heavey looks to make it 17-0.
“The Hitman”,’who has also held IBO Continental honours at super middle and the Midlands middleweight strap, has six TKOs among those 17 wins.
The wildly-popular operator is looking to do a number on Flatley who, apart from the technical decision, has only been beaten for the English and European titles.
Heaney said: “Last time, I controlled most of the first five rounds. I just kept chipping away at him and, in truth, I’d bashed him up a bit. All that I had to do was carry that on.
“Their game-plan might have been to catch me in the later rounds, but I’d already built up quite a lead by then. There was no chance, in my mind, of that happening.
“To tell the truth, I could feel him fading in the fourth round when his legs seemed to go heavy, so how was he going to take over for the rest of the fight?
“Some of it had been quite cagey but, if he had opened up, that would have given me the opportunity to catch him. I don’t know if he could have handled that.
“I’ll always start fast, that’s my style, and it won’t change this time. He’s got to try and match that pace, or he will find himself well behind on the scorecards again.
“The last time, two judges had me winning four rounds and the other gave me all five. It was all going so well until the cut, but the referee made the right decision.
“If I thought I was losing, I’d have begged the referee to carry on, but he didn’t do anything to make me think that, so I just accepted it and moved on.
“Within a week, the superficial side to the injury had healed and my eye is fine now. It hasn’t really been punched since, because I normally spar with a headguard on.
“He was seen, by a lot of people in boxing, as a step up and someone who could beat me, but I’m confident about what I’m capable of doing.
“I believe that I’ve got the tools and skills to be a nightmare for him and he will need to go to the well to beat me. I’ve got to finish the job that I should have done before.
“My fans always make a difference and I’m expecting about 1,500 of them to be there for this one. It will be very loud and that might be intimidating for him.”