There is no shortage of respect between Brad Pauls and Denzel Bentley, yet they both know a middleweight rematch is becoming increasingly more likely.
The pair squared off for Pauls’ British title, and the vacant European strap, in December 2024, when the challenger triumphed by unanimous decision in a competitive contest.
Since then, both have claimed significant stoppages, with Bentley coming off a seventh-round finish over Endry Saavedra for the WBO ‘interim’ title in April and Pauls halting Shakiel Thompson with a stunning ninth-round onslaught in March.
Prior to his victory, Pauls had been sparring his former foe and, even ahead of his next outing, the two of them have shared plenty of rounds.
With both signed to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, though, it could be a matter of time before they once again meet under the bright lights.
Speaking with Boxing News, Pauls reveals that he and Bentley have already discussed this possibility.
“I really like Denzel, he’s a cool guy, but we’ve both been saying that, if we keep winning, [Queensberry are] going to make us fight again. It makes complete sense, especially if I get a world title. We’d have to stop sparring but, more than likely, we’ll end up fighting again.”
With Bentley in line for an eventual world title shot, Pauls would need to leverage his No.12 ranking with the IBF in order to secure their unification match.
The more likely route, however, would be a direct WBO title challenge, given Pauls’ No.4 ranking with the sanctioning body and the possibility of Bentley being elevated to full champion; otherwise the Londoner will need to defeat Janibek Alimkhanuly once the Uzbek returns from his year-long doping suspension.
Either way, it seems that Pauls is edging closer to a major opportunity following his tremendous underdog victory over Thompson.
After trailing on the judges’ scorecards, ‘The Newquay Bomb’ took a gamble in round nine and managed to suddenly swing the result in his favour.
Reflecting on his performance, Pauls believes it was his overall experience that made a considerable difference.
“It’s got to add 10 or 15%. I always go back to the [Tyler] Denny fight – my first fight on TV – and it really threw me off.
“But since then, it all just feels familiar – the big occasions, the cameras, the massive venues. Going into the late rounds against Shakiel, that’s when you pull on the experience to get you through.
“A member of my corner team, Ellis [Steward], said: ‘I’d rather you get knocked out trying to knock him out than just play it safe and cruise it to a points loss’. And I was like, ‘I’ve got two rounds left – I need to start taking big chances’.”
Sure enough, the risk paid off as Pauls pulled off a sizable upset to secure his place on the undercard of Ryan Garner vs Michael Magnesi at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, this Saturday.
The 33-year-old will face tricky southpaw Bradley Goldsmith, having just defeated another lefty in Thompson.
If he emerges victorious then Pauls could end up in another domestic dustup later this year, potentially against Sam Gilley, who comes off a clinical fifth-round stoppage over Aston Brown.
“There were about eight names in the hat. [Gilley] was one of the first names but I think my management team would rather do it at the end of the year, when it could become a bigger fight.
“But Queensberry were like, ‘You’re not getting no easy fight’, so that’s how I ended up with Bradley Goldsmith.”
Whether he ends up facing Gilley, Bentley or a totally different fighter, Pauls’ ultimate goal is to headline a televised show in the South West of England.
From a logistical perspective, the nearest venue to Newquay, his home town, is Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park Stadium, where he hopes to eventually fight for world honours.
“We could do it at Plymouth Argyle [Home Park Stadium]. There’s a few more fighters coming out of the South West, like [British welterweight champion] Constantine Ursu.
“That’d be a dream, to bring big time boxing to the South West.”
In order for Pauls to keep this dream alive, he must first take care of the Dominic Ingle-trained Goldsmith.