![Brad Paul [right] attacks Shakiel Thompson en route to a dramatic win on March 28, 2026](https://photo.boxingscene.com/uploads/BradPaulsShakielThompson.webp)
Brad Pauls crushes Shakiel Thompson world title dream with comeback win
Brad Pauls stunned Manchester’s Co-op Live with a ninth round finish of Shakiel Thompson after being down on the scorecards
![Brad Paul [right] attacks Shakiel Thompson en route to a dramatic win on March 28, 2026](https://photo.boxingscene.com/uploads/BradPaulsShakielThompson.webp)
Brad Pauls stunned Manchester’s Co-op Live with a ninth round finish of Shakiel Thompson after being down on the scorecards

BoxingScene has confirmed that the IBF has ordered a vacant middleweight title fight between Etinosa Oliha and Shakiel Thompson.

Shakiel Thompson will face Brad Pauls in a step-up fight January 24 in Manchester, UK. “Anyone that is in the middleweight division is in my way,” Thompson said.

Shakiel Thompson has long been calling out the leading lights at middleweight domestically but had been frustrated in his efforts to land big fights until Brad Pauls stepped up.

With a barrage of punches to the midsection — some legal, some not — Thompson beat the fight out of Benitez en route to a fourth-round stoppage, Tom Ivers reports

Talks between IBF and WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly and Englishman Shakiel Thompson have hit a stalemate

The middleweight contender Shakiel Thompson hopes his return to the ring next month could lead to a shot at the WBO and IBF champion Janibek Alimkhanuly

Over the past twelve months, Shakiel Thompson has been quietly improving and building momentum. Last night, he planted himself firmly on the radar of every British middleweight.

A trio of women’s world title fights are the main headliners for this week’s action, including two on Friday — Alycia Baumgardner vs. Delfine Persoon for the WBC junior lightweight belt, Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer for the WBO welterweight belt — as well as Rhiannon Dixon vs. Terri Harper on Saturday for the WBO lightweight belt.

Heavyweight Hughie Fury and lightweight Maxi Hughes will both appear on a GMB Sports show at Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield on September 27, it was announced today (August 22).