The moments after the bell ends a close fight are a whirlwind.
With adrenaline still coursing through their veins, the fighters find themselves in the eye of another storm. Scorecards are collected, promoters and trainers hoist the fighters aloft and assure them they have won, and television interviewers seek out their instant reactions.
Eventually, the boxers make the walk back down the tunnel from which they emerged an hour or so earlier and return back into quiet dressing rooms. Once the door closes and shuts out the noise of the crowd and the well-meaning but one-sided talk from friends and family, the fighters have some time to think clearly, and their true feelings about what had just taken place generally pour out.
When Brad Pauls, 31, found some peace and quiet in the moments after his chaotic split draw with British middleweight champion Nathan Heaney in March, his belief that he had done more than enough to take the title hardened.
“It was a really difficult one to take to be honest,” Pauls (18-1-1, 10 KOs) told BoxingScene. “I didn’t feel like I’d lost. I didn’t feel beaten. I also didn’t have anything for winning, though. It was a strange one. It took me a couple of days to really process it. After watching some of the highlights and understanding what had happened a bit more, it just felt unjust.”
Pauls, of Newquay, England, has been given a second bite at the cherry. On July 20, he and Heaney (18-0-1, 6 KOs) will meet again at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.
Whilst the energetic Heaney started the exciting first fight in the same vein of form he displayed when shocking Denzel Bentley to win the belt last December, the composed Pauls bided his time, appearing confident that the chance to land his hard left hook would inevitably present itself.
His plan worked. Slowly but surely, Pauls found his range, and over the second half of the fight he badly hurt Heaney on more than one occasion. Only the champion’s grit and determination kept him upright and denied Pauls a spectacular stoppage victory.
Although both fighters will feel that there are small tweaks and adjustments they can make that will help them over the line second time around, it would also be a mistake if either were to stray too far from the tactics that brought them so much success the first time around.
“Realistically, there’s only so much Nathan can change in four months, but I’ll be prepared for whatever he brings anyway,” Pauls said. “We know what we didn’t do so well last time and what we can do a bit better, so we’ve worked on that. We’ve added in a few things and we feel we’ll do slightly the same but better next time. It’ll be an interesting one.
“This time, there will be a little bit more experience on my part. I’ve done 12 rounds now and I’m used to the bigger stage, but I can hurt Nathan at any point in the fight. I’m not so sure he can hurt me in the same way. It makes it interesting.
“I’m very confident. I feel like I’m still improving and I feel like I’m coming into my prime. It’ll be the best version of myself.”
The psychology of both fighters ahead of the rematch will be fascinating. Although he feels like he won the first fight, Pauls will prepare for the return with the mindset of a challenger.
Before the draw with Pauls, Heaney was strongly linked to a major outdoors fight this summer at the home of his beloved Stoke City, in Staffordshire. The 35-year-old Heaney is a proud and motivated British champion, but with his long hoped for stadium fight bumped back at least another year, returning to the Resorts World Arena for another hard fight with Pauls could well feel like going over old ground.
Pauls isn’t expecting to meet an under-motivated or slightly shopworn Heaney. He is expecting another tough night’s work.
“You never know with some people,” he said. “I feel like my style will gel well with most and that Nathan plays to his strengths. I’m just gonna expect a better version of Nathan this time. I’m not looking into any sort of decline. I think he’s gonna have the bit between his teeth now because of what happened before. It’s gonna be harder for me this time, but I’m gonna be better, so it all adds up.”