Middleweight contender Brad Pauls has thrown his name in the hat should his promoter, Queensberry, again pit some of their finest fighters against those of Matchroom.
First, he must defeat Bradley Goldsmith at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on Saturday.
Pauls is looking to kick on from his March underdog victory over previously-undefeated Shakiel Thompson, whom he stopped in nine rounds.
“Yeah, spoiled loads of plans,” Pauls smiled while in conversation with BoxingScene. “There was meant to be other big fights happening, but I’ve spoiled those as well, and sort of took his place, I suppose.”
Pauls, 33, is now ranked No. 4 by the IBF and No. 12 by the IBF.
“It’s all calculated risks. I knew not everyone was queuing up to fight Shakiel at the time, and the gain from beating Shakiel I knew would set me up for something massive. Obviously, he’s recently signed [with Queensberry] and he had a really good belt and a really good ranking. So that’s what appeals, but that’s boxing. It’s snakes and ladders, and you put the risk out there and then it can throw you up into bigger and better fights.”
Pauls, 21-2-1 (12 KOs), leapt over Thompson with his victory, and having lost a decision to WBO interim champion Denzel Bentley 18 months ago, the Cornwall man is keen to run that one back even if the former rivals have become friends.
“It’s funny actually, because he’s been helping me out with sparring because we live near each other, and he can switch southpaw, he’s quite decent southpaw,” Pauls said.
“He’s my pal and he was like, ‘Listen, we both keep winning, they’re going to want us to fight each other.’
“And I was like, ‘Yeah.’
“And he was, ‘Mate, it’s nothing personal. We’re going to fight each other again.’
“So he’s got a world title and I’m fourth with the WBO. And then, obviously, if I get the IBF, Queensberry would love us to unify. Another win or two for me and then it’ll be rematch, I think.”
But the domestic middleweight scene is increasingly lively and, with that in mind, Pauls is keen to represent Frank Warren’s Queensberry and has volunteered to take a middleweight berth against Matchroom’s finest.
And he has already sparred the Matchroom duo of George Liddard and Jimmy Sains, who could shape up as his opposite number.
“Love it. Absolutely. I’d love to represent and do it again,” he said, referring back to Queensberry’s previous 5-0 rout of their counterparts.
“Queensberry, 7-0 win, I reckon [if they do it again]. I’ve sparred both of them [Liddard and Sains]. They’re both quality fighters. Lot of respect for them, but yeah, it would be good. They’re all good fights, especially Liddard [British and Commonwealth champion], I know that would gel for a really, really good fight.”
While Pauls is from Newquay, Cornwall, he trains in Essex and with this fight in Southampton his fans could be forgiven for thinking they have something of a home game, even though Newquay is about 200 miles away. They are both on the South Coast, and Pauls usually has to venture to London or far further north.
But Pauls has his own connection to the city having gone to university there and having boxed as an amateur at the Golden Ring Club.
Now he fights in a stadium but if he is to unlock the fights at the top of the division, he knows he cannot afford to slip up against the 15-1 (10 KOs) Goldsmith.
“I haven’t watched a fight of his yet,” said Pauls. “I never watched the fight of Shakiel’s. I sort of just leave it to my coach and whatever he says, I listen to. But I understand it’s a very difficult fight. I don’t think it’s an easy fight at all. My coach has told me it’s a very difficult fight. But they’re all difficult at this level and it’s the right sort of chance to take to get me to the next stage.”
