Brad Pauls dreaming of world title shot against Erislandy Lara or Janibek Alimkhanuly

Brad Pauls hopes to secure a title shot against Erislandy Lara or Janibek Alimkhanuly after earning a world ranking with a victory over Nathan Heaney.

Pauls picked up the British and WBA continental middleweight titles with his win over Heaney last Saturday, July 20. The encounter was the second time the pair had faced each other after battling it out to draw earlier in the year. The 31-year-old put in a much-improved performance and managed to finish Heaney in the 12th and final round.

The continental title Pauls won earns him a top 15 ranking with the WBA and he is now eligible for a title shot. The current holder of the WBA belt is 41-year-old Lara.

Although Lara may not be the fighter he once was, he still is capable of putting in world-class performances after he stopped Michael Zerafa in two rounds back in March. Pauls understands fighting for a world title would be an overachievement but insists he would jump at the chance of facing the veteran champion.

“I’ve got the British title in a stacked division and at the same time I’ve got the world ranking now with the WBA,” Pauls told BoxingScene. “I could get a call up for Lara – stranger things have happened; it could be the right timing. [A shot at a world title] would mean everything to me. That would be overachieving for me, but a shot I’d be willing to take. Not a fight I’d turn down and if that opportunity presented itself, I’d take it with both hands. Stranger things have happened, imagine the world title down in Cornwall. I’ll have to get on to my manager about that one and see what we can do!”

Pauls’ victory could also earn him a shot at unified champion Janibek after Heaney was ranked at five with the WBO. The Kazakh is widely considered the best fighter in the division after winning both the IBF and WBO titles. Pauls, however, is not afraid of taking on Janibek after fellow Briton Denzel Bentley faced the champion and pushed him for all 12 rounds.

“Janibek, if he wanted a night in Vegas or something like that, I wouldn’t say no,” added Pauls. “Sounds a bit crazy but we will get a few Cornish out in Vegas, it would be an interesting one, Bentley done it and went out there. If not that, a nice big domestic fight. I’m a man of my word, I would honor the rematch with Heaney, and if not there’s a million good names out there.”

Now that Pauls will likely be promoted by Frank Warren, a defense against one of his many middleweights could be an option. The former British champion Bentley could be an easy fight to make and one that Pauls would be open to. The British champion is by no means under the impression that Bentley would be an easy fight after the two shared the ring with each other in sparring.

“[I rate Bentley] massively.” Pauls said. “Denzel [Bentley] is a brilliant fighter, his gym is near our gym, and I’ve sparred him a few times. He boxed my stablemate Linus [Udofia], close fight but he got the victory. Denzel is one of the toughest fights in the country for anyone, he went the distance with Janibek. There’s no easy fights for the British title and Bentley would be another tough fight.

“No one got massively the better of anyone else [in the spars],” he continued. “There’s no sort of wars like that in the Peacock gym, they’re all kind of technical and good sparring. I’m not saying I smashed up Denzel, I wouldn’t say he smashed up me, just good work. I sparred him a few times.”