Boxing

Introducing Denzel '2Sharp' Bentley - Four Things You Never Knew about England's Champion Middleweight

DAZN Staff

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Set to fight Brad 'The Newquay Bomb' Pauls on December 7, Denzel Bentley is a fighter of some considerable pedigree.

The holder of the British Middleweight title and the WBO International Middleweight belt will headline a night of fighting at Wembley Arena on Saturday.

As we head towards a card that will also see Lawrence Okolie, Hussein Muhamed, Sol Dacres, and David Adeleye in action, DAZN News takes a closer look at Bentley and uncover a little more about him.

1. From Ghana to England

Born in London to Ghanaian parents, Bentley has embraced both his African roots and British upbringing. His dual heritage plays a significant role in his identity and he proudly represents both communities in the ring.

2. Comeback king

Bentley is no stranger to setbacks. After suffering a high-profile defeat to Felix Cash in 2021, many doubted his ability to bounce back. However, Bentley proved critics wrong by regaining his British Middleweight title and capturing the WBO International belt.

His career has been a bit up-and-down, however, and he was criticized for failing to show up in a 2023 fight against Nathan Heaney, where he was said to have drifted through the 12 rounds. Later he revealed that his son had been born extremely premature and had been struggling in hospital.

3. Devastating power

Nicknamed ‘2Sharp,’ Bentley is renowned for his precision and knockout ability. With over half of his wins coming by stoppage, he is a feared contender known for ending fights emphatically. Bentley has a record that shows 24 fights and 20 wins, 17 of them by knockout.

4. Ambitious future goals

Bentley is not content with domestic titles. His dream is to become a world champion, and he has been steadily climbing the global rankings.

His upcoming fight with Pauls is another step on his journey to the top of the middleweight division, with promoter Frank Warren saying that the winner of Saturday's fight will get a shot at a world title.

Speaking to Boxing Scene, Bentley explained why he was so eager to accept the fight with Pauls: "It got it put to me, I said ‘Yes’ because I wanna stay active. There's four belts on the line and, now I know, Frank's obviously offering a world title fight for the winner."

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