David Barnes has something to prove tonight
Posted: 13 Dec 2003, 15:16
On the big Manchester bill tonight, British welterweight champion David Barnes makes the first defence of his title against Scottish champion Kevin McIntyre of Paisley.
The vacant Commonwealth welterweight title is also on the line.
Southpaw Barnes captured the vacant British title in July with a contentious 12-round decision over born-again Jimmy Vincent (115-114 on referee John Keane's scorecard). It was close, but Vincent looked to have done enough and a rematch was subsequently - and quickly - ordered by the Boxing Board. Vincent remains the mandatory challenger, but stepped aside for the carrot of a vacant WBU welterweight title shot against Eamonn Magee last week in Cardiff, thus allowing Barnes to make this voluntary defence.
"David will have at least one fight before taking on Jimmy again," said his manager and promoter allegedly recently, so presumably this fight precedes a second meeting.
"If they meet then I think David will stop Vincent," adds Warren.
"Jimmy won't be that good again, and I think David will have learned a lot - and improved - after that fight."
Despite the controversial nature of his title win, Barnes, it has to be remembered, went into the fight as a mere two-year pro and also broke his hand in the fight. And all those bemoaning the verdict were quick to add how the 22-year-old Lancastrian, now 13-0 (7), lived up to the promise his unbeaten run indicated beforehand. He showed character at the end of a one-sided eighth when both his trainer Brian Hughes and manager Warren gave him one more round and Barnes responded with his best round of the fight in the ninth - and continued to fight well in the closing stages, though Vincent, as ever, made sure he was unable to take the play away for long.
But, make no mistake, Barnes wasn't to blame for the controversey.
His opponent tonight, former amateur star McIntyre, has a solid 20-2 [8] record as a pro - and has won his last 10 in a row. He won the Scottish welterweight title with a points win over Craig Lynch last year, and is one of the few men to stop Birmingham warhorse, Mark Ramsey, who took Ricky Hatton the full six rounds and floored James Hare.
His only losses came when he was stopped in four rounds by John Humphrey two years ago, and on a technical decision at the hands of the rugged Karim Boualil in just his fourth pro fight in 1999 (McIntyre suffered a broken hand).
"I've never been more ready for this," said the 25-year-old Scot, "and I've been buzzing ever since I was told the fight was on. This is what I've been waiting for." We only have to look at the last Scot to challenge an unbeaten Sports Network fighter (Uddingston's Lawrence Murphy against Wayne Elcock), to know that nothing in boxing - particularly championship boxing - can be taken for granted.
Scottish souces state that McIntyre is a sharp southpaw boxer-puncher who has improved since the decisive loss to Humphrey in February 2001 in Glasgow, though he is having his first fight outside Scotland as a pro.
"I don't know much about him," admits Barnes, "but I know he is a southpaw, pretty stiff and straight up."
The champion plans to use more jabbing, and foot and head movement, than he did against Vincent.
And McIntyre will do well to prove a more formidable opponent than Vincent. "It was like 10 fights rolled into one," said Barnes himself, and he firmly believes he won that balmy Summer night in Dagenham. "I've watched the fight over and over again. He's a good fighter, but I made him miss a lot; he hit my gloves and I made him go to the ropes.
"You don't score points for hitting the gloves. I got through as well. His guard was quite open to hit."
Maybe. Maybe not. But the champion's silky southpaw skills can certainly force a more clearcut win this time. It won't be easy against a useful-looking challenger, but the local man, roared on by the crowd, can emerge after 12 good rounds on points.
The vacant Commonwealth welterweight title is also on the line.
Southpaw Barnes captured the vacant British title in July with a contentious 12-round decision over born-again Jimmy Vincent (115-114 on referee John Keane's scorecard). It was close, but Vincent looked to have done enough and a rematch was subsequently - and quickly - ordered by the Boxing Board. Vincent remains the mandatory challenger, but stepped aside for the carrot of a vacant WBU welterweight title shot against Eamonn Magee last week in Cardiff, thus allowing Barnes to make this voluntary defence.
"David will have at least one fight before taking on Jimmy again," said his manager and promoter allegedly recently, so presumably this fight precedes a second meeting.
"If they meet then I think David will stop Vincent," adds Warren.
"Jimmy won't be that good again, and I think David will have learned a lot - and improved - after that fight."
Despite the controversial nature of his title win, Barnes, it has to be remembered, went into the fight as a mere two-year pro and also broke his hand in the fight. And all those bemoaning the verdict were quick to add how the 22-year-old Lancastrian, now 13-0 (7), lived up to the promise his unbeaten run indicated beforehand. He showed character at the end of a one-sided eighth when both his trainer Brian Hughes and manager Warren gave him one more round and Barnes responded with his best round of the fight in the ninth - and continued to fight well in the closing stages, though Vincent, as ever, made sure he was unable to take the play away for long.
But, make no mistake, Barnes wasn't to blame for the controversey.
His opponent tonight, former amateur star McIntyre, has a solid 20-2 [8] record as a pro - and has won his last 10 in a row. He won the Scottish welterweight title with a points win over Craig Lynch last year, and is one of the few men to stop Birmingham warhorse, Mark Ramsey, who took Ricky Hatton the full six rounds and floored James Hare.
His only losses came when he was stopped in four rounds by John Humphrey two years ago, and on a technical decision at the hands of the rugged Karim Boualil in just his fourth pro fight in 1999 (McIntyre suffered a broken hand).
"I've never been more ready for this," said the 25-year-old Scot, "and I've been buzzing ever since I was told the fight was on. This is what I've been waiting for." We only have to look at the last Scot to challenge an unbeaten Sports Network fighter (Uddingston's Lawrence Murphy against Wayne Elcock), to know that nothing in boxing - particularly championship boxing - can be taken for granted.
Scottish souces state that McIntyre is a sharp southpaw boxer-puncher who has improved since the decisive loss to Humphrey in February 2001 in Glasgow, though he is having his first fight outside Scotland as a pro.
"I don't know much about him," admits Barnes, "but I know he is a southpaw, pretty stiff and straight up."
The champion plans to use more jabbing, and foot and head movement, than he did against Vincent.
And McIntyre will do well to prove a more formidable opponent than Vincent. "It was like 10 fights rolled into one," said Barnes himself, and he firmly believes he won that balmy Summer night in Dagenham. "I've watched the fight over and over again. He's a good fighter, but I made him miss a lot; he hit my gloves and I made him go to the ropes.
"You don't score points for hitting the gloves. I got through as well. His guard was quite open to hit."
Maybe. Maybe not. But the champion's silky southpaw skills can certainly force a more clearcut win this time. It won't be easy against a useful-looking challenger, but the local man, roared on by the crowd, can emerge after 12 good rounds on points.
