Stoke City dream is still alive for Heaney
Heaney…fighting back in home city. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB
NATHAN Heaney still has dreams of boxing at Stoke City's BET 365 stadium, writes PAUL WEBB.
and after five years away from the place he proudly calls home, the Pride of the Potteries will headline BCB Promotions “Forgive Me Delilah” sold-out show at Kings Hall on July 26.
The 36-year-old middleweight has packed a lot into his 25 years in the sport, from his successful early amateur days right through to winning the British title despite being a heavy underdog against Denzel Bentley.
His popularity has grown year by year, and after a couple of tough defeats, he will take on former Southern Area champion Grant Dennis knowing that anything other than a win could see that dream extinguished.
He said: “It's ideal for me, it's perfect. I always wanted my next fight to be in Stoke and when we looked at the options with Queensbury and with Errol, this was the next best thing to my dream of boxing at the BET 365.
“For my fans locally, it means no trains or hotels. It's a lot easier and they deserve that for all the support they have given me. I do still have some travelling in and flying over from Ireland, which is amazing, and I'm very grateful. We could have sold a lot more. I'm still getting messages daily, and there aren't many boxers who can say they have that level of loyalty in support, especially after two losses.”
After back-to-back wars with Brad Pauls, which saw Heaney lose his British title in the rematch, Nathan was given a comeback fight against France's Sofiane Khati in February. Despite making a strong start, ultimately it didn't go to plan, with Heaney being stopped in the seventh round.
Heaney said: “Dennis was a name that was looked at for a fight about three years ago and he is going to be very motivated to beat me. My last five fights have been really tough and this isn't at the level of the Denzel Bentleys and Brad Pauls, but for this show, he is the ideal opponent. I watched the Khati fight back once, I felt flat. I wasn't my usual energetic self, and it's one of those things. I didn't stick to what I was meant to do.”
A couple of successful stints as a pundit on TNT and Talksport have given Heaney a chance to work on the other side of the sport. As much as he has one eye on life after he hangs up the gloves, for now his focus remains inside rather than outside of the ring.
He said: “I'd love to get into punditry or maybe into managing fighters, as I feel with my experience going from the bottom and building my way up, it would put me in a good spot to pass that knowledge on.
“After achieving what I have, winning the British title and boxing in arenas all across the country, the last thing, the only thing that motivates me now is a fight at Stoke City. The atmosphere on the 26th is going to be amazing and just imagine what it would be like if we got a show there. With this fight being free to view for everyone, hopefully the right people see it and make that happen. I know that won't be possible unless I win, and I really think the city deserves it.”
*All tickets have sold out, but you can join the waiting list for any returns by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com. The fight will be streamed live on BCB's YouTube Channel.