Boxing
Gerome Warburton ‘rattles’ Nathan Heaney and questions devoted fanbase
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Middleweight Gerome Warburton is ready to spoil the swansong of former British champion Nathan Heaney.
The pair meet on Saturday’s Magnificent 7 card, headlined by Moses Itauma and Jermaine Franklin, and for Heaney, this is the first fight of his final year in boxing.
There are hopes of Heaney finally getting his dream date at Stoke City’s Bet365 Stadium, but Warburton is looking to ruin those plans at the first hurdle.
At November’s announcement press conference, Warburton was not afraid to stick it on Heaney, and speaking to DAZN News, the 30-year-old believes he already has the edge in the mind games.
“When you are hoping to have a big event at Stoke City’s stadium, which is obviously his dream, then you are sat there in a press conference saying it’s your last year, and you don’t want boxing to retire you, that’s been playing on his mind,” Warburton said.
“Maybe he said it to get it off his chest. He was a little bit rattled.”
I have rattled the whole of Stoke - Warburton
One thing that cannot be taken away from Heaney is his ability to build up a passionate and big following in his home city of Stoke.
Whenever Heaney is in action, thousands of Stokies make the trip to whichever arena he is fighting in and bring the noise.
Those fans will be making themselves heard at Manchester’s Co-op Live when Heaney takes to the ring, but Warburton believes they are a fickle bunch.
“Everyone would love a following like that. He’s putting bums on seats, which is good for the promotion.
“I have been to one of his previous fights, when he got beat by Brad Pauls in the second fight and when it’s not going his way, they don’t follow him, it all goes quiet.”
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Warburton is even relishing the chance of converting some of Heaney’s fans into his own with a win over the ‘Hitman’.
“I think my damage is done, but maybe I might earn some respect from a few on the night, but I have not only rattled Nathan Heaney, but I think I have rattled the whole of Stoke as well.
“At the end of the day, you get one shot at a boxing career, and you might as well have fun doing it.”
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Knockout sensation Moses Itauma faces his toughest test against Jermaine Franklin this Saturday night, March 28. Watch exclusively with a DAZN Ultimate subscription to also get PPVs Chisora vs. Wilder (April 4), Wardley vs. Dubois (May 9), and Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23) included.
