Middleweight resurrects career after injury

WARRINGTON boxer Nathan Wheatley cruised past Casey Blair to extend his winning record to 8-0
The bout saw the resurrection of Wheatley’s professional boxing career after spending more than a year out of the ring due to a shoulder injury.
The 29-year-old middleweight defeated Blair (4-38), 38 from Northern Ireland, in a shutout points win at the Preston Guild Hall on the undercard of Liam Conroy’s second English light-heavyweight title defence to challenger Miles Shinkwin, live on Box Nation TV.
“The Wire’s” first fight with new trainer Matthew Hatton in the corner couldn’t have gone any better for him, he says,
“Happy with the fight, was in control and tried out a few new things I’ve learnt in the gym with Matt. He was great to have in the corner, really clear and calm, just like being in the gym!
“The jab was the key, still lots to work on so I’ll be watching it back and looking forward to getting back in the gym with Matt and keep improving.”
Wheatley’s win over “The Kid” was his first bout back after overcoming a shoulder injury that saw him side-lined for more than a year, his last fight was on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s rematch with Jorge Linares at the Manchester Arena in March last year.
His damaged shoulder, first caused by overreaching in a sparring session back in 2015, was the reason he was forced to withdraw from a Central Area middleweight championship contest last May at Manchester’s Bowlers Arena.
The missed title shot was the final straw for the unbeaten prospect after suffering for so long and, after extensive physio treatment, he is now fully recovered and firing on all cylinders again, this time under new coach Hatton after splitting with former trainer Kieran Farrell last year.
He said: “Shoulder felt great, no issues with it at all. My shoulder problems happened in training for my second fight, so I’ve had six fights with it playing up, so it’s good to be back in the ring with two working arms!”
The former Bridgefoot ABC student is now eight bouts unbeaten and aims to get back in the mix for the Central Area title
“I will be having a week off and eating a few takeaways,” he laughed. “Then I’ll be straight back in the gym with Matt and get ready for the next one.”
Wheatley initially turned pro under the watchful eye of Oliver Harrison, but they parted ways after just two fights. Wheatley went on to have five fights under Kieran Farrell’s management before eventually teaming up with Matthew Hatton last year.
His first fight under the guidance of the former world title contender went smoothly and the pair are plotting their next move already.
“I’ve already spoken to Matt this morning and we want to get a fight date sorted again very soon now the ring rust is dusted off. We’re looking for another three to four fights this year.