Jack Cullen (21-3-1, 9 KOs) was initially slated to return to action on Saturday, December 3, 2022, headlining at the University Of Bolton Stadium in his hometown of Bolton, Lancashire, England. However, records indicate that this planned bout did not materialise. Instead, Cullen’s next professional appearance after April 2022 was in March 2023.
Prior to the original article’s publication in October 2022, NoSmokeBoxing had been informed that Cullen was set to face Mark Heffron on the Joyce vs Parker undercard in Manchester. However, Heffron’s manager Kevin Maree poured cold water on these reports, and the fight never materialised at that time.
Despite the initial setback, Cullen remained vocal about the potential clash. He told his promoter VIP Boxing in an interview that the boxing community knew a fight with Heffron ‘would make a f****** brilliant fight’ and was what ‘people want to see’.
The Long-Awaited Clash: Cullen vs. Heffron
The highly anticipated domestic showdown between Jack Cullen and Mark Heffron eventually came to fruition, delivering a decisive outcome. On September 2, 2023, at the Manchester Arena, Jack Cullen secured arguably the most significant victory of his professional career by stopping Mark Heffron in the third round. Cullen, nicknamed “Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver,” landed a perfectly timed left hook that sent Heffron to the canvas. Although Heffron attempted to beat the count, he immediately fell back down, prompting referee Kieran McCann to halt the contest at 2:43 of round three.
This victory saw Cullen capture the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles, fulfilling his dream of becoming a British champion in front of a supportive crowd. Speaking after his win, Cullen told The Bolton News: “The game plan worked perfectly and I am buzzing with that win.” For Heffron, who had held the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles since July 2022 after stopping Lennox Clarke, this marked his fourth professional loss, all coming inside the distance.
Before their clash, Cullen had faced a challenging period, including a TKO loss to Kevin Lele Sadjo in December 2021 for the European title and a fourth-round TKO defeat to undefeated American prospect Diego Pacheco in March 2023 for the IBO International Super-Middleweight title. Heffron, meanwhile, had been on a four-fight winning streak prior to facing Cullen, including his title-winning effort against Clarke and a first-round TKO over Martin Ezequiel Bulacio in September 2022.
European Ambitions and Past Encounters
The European super-middleweight landscape also played a significant role in the discussions surrounding Cullen and Heffron. European champion Kevin Lele Sadjo, who had knocked out Jack Cullen in the sixth round for the vacant EBU Super Middleweight title on December 18, 2021, was a target for both fighters. Sadjo, known as “The Punisher” or “The Phenom,” held an impressive record of 27 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws with 24 KOs at the time of the original article’s publication.
Mark Heffron and his manager Kevin Maree were keen on targeting Sadjo, believing a win against the European champion would earn more credit and push Heffron further up the rankings. Cullen, in his interview with VIP Boxing, also expressed his desire to rematch Sadjo if the Heffron fight didn’t materialise. However, neither the Heffron-Sadjo nor the Cullen-Sadjo rematch took place in the immediate aftermath.
Sadjo continued to build on his European success, defending his EBU title against Emre Cukur in November 2022 and later winning the WBO Inter-Continental title against Abraham Gabriel Buonarrigo in December 2023. He went on to secure further victories against Giovanni De Carolis, Durval Elias Palacio, Diego Gabriel Chaves, and Habib Ahmed, maintaining a high knockout ratio. His impressive run was eventually halted by Diego Pacheco, who defeated him via unanimous decision for the WBC Silver super-middleweight title in December 2025.
What Lies Ahead for the Super-Middleweights
Following his triumph over Mark Heffron, Jack Cullen’s reign as British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion was short-lived. He made his first defense against Zak Chelli on January 20, 2024, at the Liverpool Arena, losing the titles via unanimous decision after 12 rounds. Cullen then suffered another setback, a fifth-round TKO loss to Luka Plantic on April 6, 2024. In a notable career shift, Cullen has since transitioned to bare-knuckle boxing, making his debut in March 2025 and securing a technical knockout victory.
For Mark Heffron, the loss to Cullen marked a turning point. After a bounce-back knockout win against Serhii Ksendzov in February 2024, he faced Christian Mbilli for the WBC Continental Americas and WBA International super-middleweight titles on May 25, 2024. Heffron suffered a first-round knockout loss in that bout. On January 18, 2025, Heffron announced his retirement from professional boxing, citing the physical toll of the sport and a desire to focus on family.
The original article also highlighted another potential domestic foe for Cullen, with NoSmokeBoxing exclusively reporting on calls from Reece Cartwright for Jack Cullen to accept a fight with him. Cartwright, a middleweight from Leeds, held an undefeated record of 17 wins with 10 KOs at the time of the initial report. While Cartwright’s BoxRec record shows a career spanning until 2022 with a record of 23-3-0 (14 KOs), a fight between him and Cullen never materialised.
