DENZEL BENTLEY admits he can find it difficult to get motivated for a fight that he is expected to win.
Distractions, or as he describes it, โoutside noiseโ can get inside his head and divert his attention from the task at hand. Against Nathan Heaney in November Bentley was widely expected to defend his British middleweight title and be the one who put a full stop on Heaneyโs underdog story.
In the main event at Manchester Arena, after the likes of Nick Ball, Liam Davies, Harry Scarff, Nathaniel Collins, and Solomon Dacres all conducted successful business in the ring, Heaney caused the biggest shock of the night and the year. The underdog snapped away at Bentley and eventually won a deserved decision to take the Lonsdale belt.
Bentley, 18-3-1 (15 KOs), did not want to offer excuses when he spoke to Boxing News several weeks after the loss but believed his wifeโs pregnancy and the premature birth of his first child did affect his preparations.
At the time he said, โI didnโt want to say that on the night because it would seem like Iโm making excuses. I wanted Heaney to enjoy his win. Itโs still not excuses but itโs what was going on and I decided to get in the ring. Iโve got to deal with the outcome.โ
Four months later, Bentley now faces Essex middleweight Danny Dignum, 16-1-1 (9 KOs), on Saturday night (May 11) at York Hall. Two years ago, the two men faced โQazaq Styleโ Zhanibek Alimkhanuly six months apart in Las Vegas. Dignum was in over his head in May 2022, lasting two rounds, but Bentley went the distance and at the time proved his worth as a world title contender.
โIf I go into the next fight and donโt win that, whatโs my excuse, then,โ Bentley laughed.
The 29-year-old initially spoke to BN about his experience last week with Steel Warriors, an anti-knife crime charity, but kindly gave up more time to talk about the Dignum fight which headlines the Saturday fight night on TNT Sports.
โIโve got to be on point,โ he said.
โIf I donโt perform next time, I shouldnโt be in the ring. But I feel good this time. Danny Dignumโs a good fighter. In my opinion a better fighter than Nathan [Heaney]. Iโm excited to put out a statement and get back to where I was because I was in a good position before that [loss], and I let Nathan take that from me. That stung me a little bit. I know that feeling and I donโt want it again. I need to put on a good performance and get back to where I was and move forward.โ
โHeโs a good boxer, very technical,โ Bentley said of Dignum.
โHeโs a southpaw, got good straight shots, got a good shot selection and he only ever lost once. Heโs a good fighter. I tell people this ainโt a comeback fight. This is a fight I couldโve had after Heaney if I couldnโt get a world title shot. This is a real competitive fight.
โI know we ainโt seen Dignum for a while and he ainโt been active, but I know he stays in the gym because I know where he trains. And I know in that gym they stay pretty active. Iโm not expecting him to be rusty. Iโm expecting a good version of him. Iโm excited for this fight, Iโm actually really excited, I canโt express how much.โ
Like many boxing fans, Bentley is enjoying a period in the sport where the best fights are being made. Undefeated records are not wrapped up in protective materials because more and more fighters are willing to take a loss, knowing itโs not the end of their career. The financial injection from Saudi Arabia has likely made the risk factor easier to swallow but letโs not forget that boxing is also prizefighting.
โThatโs the phase weโre in,โ Bentley said.
โGood fighters are taking good fights and losing so that undefeated stuff is going out the window. They realise if you take the right fights, you get paid the right money. Weโre in a good phase of boxing because weโre seeing good fights now.
โThe main thing in boxing is if you put up a good fight and a good performance people are going to want to see you again, regardless. It’s a sport, itโs competition. Youโre allowed to fall short in competition, itโs how you get back.
โIโm someone that likes competition,” he added. “If Iโm fighting someone thatโs not on my level, itโs kind of hard to get up for. Iโm sometimes good at blocking outside noise if the task at hand is greater than whatโs going on. When youโre fighting someone that you donโt feel is as good as you or not on your level, sometimes the outside noise can get inside, and you donโt pay attention. I know you should be professional, but thatโs just human nature.
โRight now, Danny Dignum is a threat and can take something away from me. And all the outside noise thatโs going on, itโs easy for me to block out because Iโve got the energy. Thereโs a threat in front of me and I need to focus.โ