From Cornwall to the World – Brad Pauls on Bentley, Sheeraz, and Making His Hometown Proud
It’s been a pleasure to oversee the last year and a half of Brad Pauls ‘The Newquay Bomb’s’ career. I first met Brad licking his wounds from his sole career defeat in February 2023, dropping a decision to Tyler Denny (19-3) for the English middleweight championship on Sky Sports, and have since worked with him as well as campmates Linus Udofia and Ellis Steward numerous times providing photo content in the gym and from ringside.
Needless to say, much has changed for Brad Pauls since then.
Brad Pauls – From Cornwall to the World
Last September he scored a KO victory at York Hall to win the vacant English title, before headlining twice on TNT Sports in two British title fights in March and July of this year, against the undefeated (and popular) titleholder Nathan Heaney (18-1-1).
Whilst the former ended in a frustrating draw, the latter of their two bouts ended with Pauls taking home the coveted Lonsdale Belt after scoring a stoppage victory in the 12th and final round. Improving his record to 19-1-1, and allowing him to fulfil his lifelong dream of delivering Cornwall it’s first British Champion in 85 years.
The Brad Pauls vs Denzel Bentley Fight
Brad now looks to headline for the third time this year, on December 7th at Wembley Arena. Brad takes on the proven (and similarly highly ranked) Denzel Bentley (20-3-1). This headline act for Queensberrys stacked ‘Magnificent 7’ show will surely have major implications for the middleweight division as a whole.
I got the chance to catch up with Brad, after a gruelling training session 2 weeks out from fight night. We discussed the journey up until this pivotal moment in his career, as well as potential opportunities this Saturday might spawn.
‘Brad, you’ve been the British champ for a few months now, simple question, how’s it all felt?’
‘Surreal at first, very overwhelming at first because of the response. Insane amount of messages and support from the Cornish people… once it sunk in I started to enjoy it and feel like the champ.’
Brad’s smile puts a physical exclamation point on his answer.
I had always wanted to ask Brad what his main motivator was when it came to taking up boxing. Cornwall isn’t a hotbed for pugilistic talent, far from it. And I had always wanted to know what exactly he was tuning into when he endeavoured to move all the way over to Essex where he now bases his training camps under the guise of veteran trainer Terry Steward. Was there one specific core element that motivated him since he started boxing as a child?’
‘It’s yes and no to that question, the main thing is that you love boxing, you couldn’t last 21 years worth of boxing unless you love it. Then there’s a plethora of other little reasons that keep you going.
For example, you love making your family proud, you love making your county proud, you love securing the future for you and your family. I just… I just love making history. I love being the first to do something, and I have to look back at the end of my career and say I did absolutely everything to achieve what I could, I couldn’t live with myself otherwise.’
Brad Pauls ‘The Newquay Bomb’
Becoming the first Cornishman to take home the British title in 85 years is certainly a good starting point when it comes to making the type of history ‘The Newquay Bomb’ is interested in.
‘Newquay and Cornwall got their first British Champion since 1939. You got a hero’s welcome, an award from the council, the BBC and ITV news interviewing you. Was it like you had expected?’
“No, the fact I was doing it all on stealth mode for so long, you know on small hall shows, you don’t get recognised. And then all of a sudden it’s the other end of the spectrum, you get more attention than you think you can handle, and its all appreciated. As I always say, it’s a good problem to have.”
The Denny vs Pauls Fight
I had never asked point blank about the Tyler Denny defeat, and while a clear points loss is never as visually devastating as a knockout loss. It can often have even harsher psychological consequences.
A knockout can be dismissed, you often hear fighters say “He hit me with a good shot, it is what it is, I’ll be more careful next time”. It can be a humbling experience, a points loss however, can be a more difficult sell to oneself.
‘Looking back at your defeat to Tyler Denny. Another simple question, what do you think happened in your first and only loss?’
“A mixture of things, inexperience on my part… you can’t prepare for the lights and the cameras without being in front of the lights and the cameras. Was my preparation the absolute best it could be? It wasn’t. There were things that I thought were right, that wasn’t. For example my nutrition, and now you can physically see the improvement. I work with Jack Coan, and he’s really helped me, as well as a mindset coach. I’ve just gained an extra 15%, and that’s the difference between winning and losing.”
Brad seems to of found the middle ground of admitting a true defeat, but not allowing it to become his ceiling.
‘I heard a quote from Steve Goodwin, your manager, that you said to him before the first Heaney fight you’d rather get KO’d in a round, than repeat the performance you had against Denny. Is that true?’
Brad responds plainly, and with pride- “Absolutely”
Luckily for him there was no first round KO in the Heaney fight, but a draw still stung sorely. A lack of a definitive ending proves extremely hollow in a sport where definitive endings are ultimately why people watch boxing. I wanted to know what the period was like in-between the two Heaney fights, where it seemed his shot to make amends may not have come at all;
“It was a bit of a kick in the teeth to make plans other than the rematch, we were planning back on small hall… I would have done it if I had to do it. Whatever it takes. There were other offers for big fights, but the rematch got made and I was over the moon.”
‘Onto the future now, there was some talk of defending your British championship against Kieron Conway, when did the focus shift from Conway to Denzel Bentley?’
“It was my decision. I‘ve sparred Conway, and I’ve sparred Bentley, and I know which is the harder fight, and I’ve picked the harder fight.”
I look at Brad with a hint of confusion, why would he consciously pick the harder fight I wondered, he continues; “I’m crazy I think, but I’d rather look back at my career and say I took my chance.”
Could we see Brad Pauls vs Hamzah Sheeraz?
With the recently vacated European title being put on the line, as well as Pauls and Bentleys rise up the global ranks thanks to Hamzah Sheeraz’s pullout from his WBO mandatory spot, Brad’s craziness seems to have paid off. Not only does he get to keep his British title, but the chances of a world title opportunity seem absolutely viable post December 7th, thanks to those world rankings.
He doubles down with his choice of opponent;
“I’d say I picked the harder fight with Bentley, he’s higher than British level, so I’m glad it’s for the European as well.”
As Brad prepares for his third televised headliner, this time as the A-side, and in the context of his modest boxing come up on the small hall scene, I asked how it feels to be just a short while away from such a colossal event which he finds himself on top of;
“It’s insane. It’s surreal, I went without it for so long, from small hall undercards most of my career to main eventing 3 times in a row. Bit of a whirlwind. It’s changed my life really, and it’s not something I want to give up.”
With the British middleweight scene going from strength to strength, with multiple exciting international matchups on the coveted Riyadh Season cards, as well as domestic bouts which rarely fail to thrill, I wondered how Brad eyes up the rest of the division.
‘The man on everyones lips is Hamzah Sheeraz, who now looks to be challenging for the WBC middleweight crown out in Saudi Arabia, what’re your thoughts on him?’
“I’ve never sparred him, but rate him highly as a boxer. He’s not skipped past domestic level, but maybe skipped a few tougher fights on the domestic scene and found his way to the top. But at the same time, nobody does that to Tyler Denny… still we’ve yet to see him dig deep. So will be interesting to see how he handles that situation.”
‘Can I get a prediction, December 7th, who wins?’
“A Newquay Bomb win. By any means necessary.”
When I left the gym, it was a sobering thought that while I had met Brad coming off his first defeat, having to regroup and go back to the uncertainty of the small hall scene.
I now know him as he looks to headline Wembley Arena in front of thousands of people, as well as hundreds of thousands watching at home. All things considered I genuinely believe he hasn’t changed one bit, and win lose or draw, this Saturday won’t change him either.
You can watch Brad Pauls defend his British title and challenge for the European title, as well as potential world honours, when he faces Denzel Bentley this Saturday on December 7th. Live on TNT Sports.
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