NEWQUAY middleweight Brad Pauls is set for a world title shot after a remarkable knockout victory over previously unbeaten Shakiel Thompson in Manchester on Saturday night.

Although the ‘Newquay Bomb’ lost several of the opening rounds at the Co-Op Live arena, Pauls gradually worked his way into the 10-round contest before a giant right-hand in the penultimate stanza wobbled his opponent who had a eight-inch height advantage.

Thompson bravely tried to carry on, but a further flurry saw referee Howard Foster wave off the contest to spark wild celebrations from the 32-year-old and his 200 supporters who had travelled from the Duchy.

Talking straight afterwards, Pauls, who is now the IBF International Middleweight champion, said: “That was for the Cornish people. I stuck to my gameplan, he’s twice the size of me but I had more experience and I had to stick to my plan.

“I was brought in to lose but I ripped up the script and then I did it for the people of Cornwall. I knew I would get to him eventually, it was now or never. This is the best night of my life, let’s get a world title back to Cornwall!”

Thompson started the night as firm favourite and began well with his counter-attacking style, with Pauls the early aggressor.

However, it was the Sheffield native that landed many of the better shots, including a shot to the ribs at the end of the third, before strikes to the head and body established Thompson’s control.

The southpaw continued to be in charge early in the fifth, but a straight right and a left uppercut from Pauls showed he was still right in the contest.

That seemed to only be a fleeting moment as Thompson again produced the better moments in the seventh, only for a couple of hooks in the eight from Pauls.

But with a minute gone of the ninth, the big right hand arrived which rocked the southpaw and catapulted the former British champion as a contender for the vacant IBF crown, which is currently vacant due to the suspension of Uzbekistan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly after failing a pre-fight drugs test prior to his unification fight with Erislandy Lara.

The win moved Pauls up to number three in the rankings and will now take some time off before coming back later in the year.

Backstage, Pauls continued: “I’m not sure if I was down on the cards, but I kept believing, dug deep, and am familiar with the trenches so dug deep and earned another win. It’s my fourth belt and a world title shot is around the corner, can you believe it?”

Pauls admitted his 6’3 opponent was tough to get to, and ensured he seized the moment when it arrived.

He said: “In some of those middle rounds it was real awkward and hard, with his levers being so long to get to him.

“But when you land a certain shot and you feel the shot go down your arm you can sense when they’re a bit more wobbly. I thought if I’m down on the cards it’s now or never, and it’s empty the tank time in the last two rounds.

“If I got him out there, it’s not down to the judges, it’s definite and it’s conclusive, so it’s the best way to do it.”