1) Round 11 of Heaney vs. Pauls
The British middleweight title fight between Nathan Heaney and Brad Pauls was thrilling for 10 rounds, full of momentum swings and dramatic moments, but then elevated itself in round 11. Pauls got the better of things for the most part, yet Heaney, sensing Pauls had punched himself out, still finished the round strong.
2) Davies’ uppercut
With three stoppages in a row, Liam Davies must now be considered one of the better finishers on the British scene. His latest, a second-round dismissal of Erik Robles, all began with a beautifully picked right uppercut which connected flush on the Mexican’s chin.
3) O’Leary’s left
In a battle of unbeaten super-lightweights, Pierce O’Leary managed to finish Hovhannes Martirosyan with an excellent left hook to the head in round nine as both exchanged shots. It was arguably the best knockout of the night.
4) Heaney’s gum shield
After being staggered by a Pauls right hand in round eight, Heaney lost control of his gum shield, allowing it to fall from his mouth and hit the canvas before he did. This then led to a too-quick timeout called by the referee and Heaney taking the opportunity to buy some time as the gum shield was put back in.
5) McCann’s right hook
Aggressively counterpunching throughout his bout with Brad Strand, the standout shot from Dennis McCann was the right hook which he threw following a left cross in round two. Thrown short, this punch cracked Strand and dropped him for the first and only time in the fight.
Dennis McCann celebrates beating Brad Strand (James Chance/Getty Images)
6) Davies’ quick finish
With the night dragging on, and the possibility of the main event starting after midnight a real one, the sight of Liam Davies polishing off Erik Robles in just two rounds was most welcome.
7) The Heaney flip
Now something of a trademark, the moment Nathan Heaney got to his feet following a slip in round 12 by springing off his back and exploding upwards was the moment you realised he still had something left. This same trick he performed when winning the British belt against Denzel Bentley in December, of course.
8) Zeuge’s power
It wasn’t enough to get the job done, but respect to Tyron Zeuge for using his power to disrupt the order of things against Zach Parker, even flooring the home fighter with a right hand in round two. Sadly, for Zeuge, the surprise element of this shot disappeared the more he used it and the more Parker grew accustomed to it.
9) Joyce finally getting it done
The fight between Joe Joyce and Kash Ali was never expected to steal the show, but the sense of relief when Joyce finally ended what was a drab affair in round 10 was not only Joyce’s to experience.
10) Stoke support
As it should, the event climaxed, both in terms of noise and action, when headliners Nathan Heaney and Brad Pauls were in the ring. This was helped no doubt by the noise made by Heaney’s Stoke fans, all of whom did their best to make a great fight even greater.