Nathan Heaney thanks ‘special fans’ for ‘superb’ retirement send-off

British Middleweight Champion thanks ‘very special’ fans at his final bout

The retiring Stoke-on-Trent boxer thanked his ‘very special’ fans for a ‘superb’ send-off following the Saturday night bout, saying they made the best night of his career.

The 37-year-old spoke to the BBC after his final bout, saying: “The pressure I put on myself in the build-up thinking I had to win the fight, because if I don't I've ruined everything.

“That's the mentality I had going in,” he shared.

Heaney said he “knew it was close but in the end, when I'd officially lost, I looked out and there was a wall of 2,000 Stokies, probably more, and not a single one had left the venue early. 

“They were all singing and they made me feel immediately that I hadn't ruined anything.

"It's them that have made it all anyway, I've just won the titles, but they've made these nights what they are.”

The retired boxer added: “To every single person who was there, thank you, you're very special people."

Heaney previously beat Denzel Bentley for the British title in November 2023, defending his belt against Brad Paul four months later, ultimately losing the rematch in July 2024. 

Reflecting on his career, Heaney said: "I'm very proud. You see things online and 99.9% are favourable and nice, but you do get comments from people who say you're just bang average.

"OK, I might be bang average, but I won many titles over the years. 

“I became the British middleweight champion and to become the British champion is not average.

"It was a very big achievement."

Heaney, nicknamed ‘hitman’, hung up his gloves after a 9-year run, capping 24 fights with 6 KOs to his name.