HEFFRON-BENTLEY II
Heffron and Bentley go again after fighting to a draw two months ago, writes Matt Bozeat
Who will win this middleweight sequel?
THE vacant British middleweight championship is on the line when Mark Heffron and Denzel Bentley clash in a rematch at the BT Sport Studio in Stratford on Friday night (November 13).
In September, they drew over 10 rounds in a rousing eliminator, all three judges scoring 95-95.
They were set to meet again in a final eliminator before Liam Williams vacated, setting up a return for the vacant British title between his Queensberry stablemates that should provide good entertainment for viewers tuning in on BT Sport.
Styles gelled well when they met before in what Martin Bowers, head of the Peacock gym where Battersea’s Bentley is based, called a “bull-and-the-matador fight.”
Switch-hitter Bentley was mobile, loose around the shoulders and quick to counter, while Heffron, 25-1-1 (19), looked to walk him into the corners and unload, switching his attacks from body to head.
The only knockdown was scored by Bentley in the second round – courtesy of a pinpoint southpaw back hand – and had it not been for that 10-8 round, Heffron would have won.
The extra two rounds on Friday night may suit the 28-year-old from Oldham. In the first fight, he appeared to win more of his rounds in the second half, without ever being able to dominate.
Of the two, Heffron seemed the more disappointed with the drawn verdict.
Richie Woodhall, scoring the fight at ringside for broadcasters BT Sport, had Heffron a point up at the final bell.
Bowers believes Bentley did enough to pinch it. “Denzel hit him with the cleaner shots,” he said, “but it was close.”
Kevin Maree, Heffron’s manager, says the draw has turned out to be “the best result for both fighters.”
He explained: “If there had been a winner, they would have had to wait for the Board to decide what’s next and then wait for purse bids.
“There aren’t many shows at the moment and they might have had to wait until next March to get a shot.”
Maree concedes he underestimated Bentley, 13-0-1 (11), going into the first fight and that was understandable.the 25-yearold had been comparatively untested in 13 previous fights – 10 wins inside two rounds – and he’d never before gone beyond six rounds. Against Heffron, Bentley proved himself to be comfortable under pressure, quick to go through the gears and good at changing the angle of his punches.
Bentley, who possibly had his best moments when he boxed as a left-hander, has talent – and he proved he can tough it out as well.
But the ninth round was hard for the South Londoner. Twice he was badly dazed, but both times his head quickly cleared and he got through the crisis.
The second round knockdown aside, Bentley’s punches had less effect on Heffron. On the few occasions Bentley held his feet and put maximum power into his punches in a bid to put Heffron on the back foot, he just walked through them.
This time, Bentley has to keep Heffron off him for two more rounds and we’re not sure that he can. Expect another hard and close fight and for Heffron – who’s had some top sparring with lightheavyweight Lyndon Arthur – to get the nod.
There’s another good match between fighters from the Peacock and Maree stables on the undercard, Streatham southpaw Chris Bourke taking on veteran English super-bantamweight champion Michael Ramabeletsa over 10 rounds. From South Africa and now based in Preston, Ramabeletsa, 18-17 (8), fights only 17 days before his 39th birthday, but those who have thought him past it in recent fights have come unstuck. In his last three fights – spread over more than two years - he’s ended the unbeaten records of Indi Sangha (9-0), Ryan Walker (8-0) and Joe Eko (7-0).
The points win over Eko was for the vacant Central Area title up at 130bs.
Eko was down twice. Ramabeletsa, stopped only once himself in a 12-year career, can crack a bit.
The win over Eko was last December and while Ramabeletsa hasn’t boxed since, Bourke has fought three times in the last year, including a 96-94 points win over Ilford’s honest Ramez Mahmood (11-0) for the vacant Southern Area belt in July that improved him to 8-0 (5).
That momentum is a definite advantage to Bourke, who is also 12 years younger and has the edge in power. For those reasons, we go for Bourke on points.
In another good match-up,
East Ham-based Afghan Quaise Khademi, 8-0 (2), and Ijaz Ahmed, 7-2, look to move up the domestic pecking order at 115lbs when they meet over 10.
Birmingham’s Ahmed has proved his mettle by coming through Midlands flyweight title fights against Conar Blackshaw (6-3) and Matt Windle (5-1-1).
Up a level or two, former Great Britain amateur Harvey Horn outpointed him over 10 and Khademi, ranked No 14 by the WBO after outpointing capable Portuguese Pedro Matos last time out despite breaking his hand in the second, is slick enough to do the same.
THE VERDICT Heffron and Bentley promise to deliver another exciting fight.