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Former two-time British champion David Barnes makes an anticipated return to the boxing ring on Saturday, November 26, when he appears in a six-round bout at Rotherham’s Magna Centre. The skilful southpaw, now 30 years of age, signed with Coldwell Boxing this week and his scheduled outing on November’s ‘The War’ fight card only further boosts what looks to be one of the very best small hall boxing shows of 2011.
In addition to Barnes’ comeback bout, ‘The War’ in Rotherham also features a main event rumble between Curtis Woodhouse and Jason Cook, a rematch between Nav Mansouri and Dee Mitchell, as well as the return of former world title challenger Ryan Rhodes.
“I was over the moon with how the show looked before signing Barnes, so you can imagine how excited I am to include him on it as well,” said promoter David Coldwell. “David is a quality former British champion and, on his day, is one of the most talented and naturally gifted boxers we have in this country. He’s had his ups and downs along the way, but returns on November 26 with a newfound maturity and desire to get back in the mix for titles. It’s great to have him back.”
Manchester’s Barnes, 24-2-1, first rose to prominence in 2003, when he successfully claimed the British welterweight title in only his thirteenth professional bout. He went on to defend the belt three times and scored a dazzling sixth round stoppage of James Hare in the process.
Five years later and Barnes added the British light-welterweight crown to his list of accolades, beating Ted Bami by decision to lift the vacant belt. Despite then successfully defending the title against Scotland’s Barry Morrison in July 2008, Barnes fell victim to inactivity and soon fell out of love with the game.
“I was just in need of a rest in 2010. My body and mind were exhausted with boxing, and I fell out of love with the game a bit,” explained Barnes. “It took about twelve months for me to fall back in love with it.
“I started watching boxing on television again and I’d see fighters that I knew I could beat go on and win titles at both domestic level and further on. It was frustrating. I’d be sat at home on my sofa watching these fighters fulfil their dreams, all the while knowing I had it in me to beat them. I decided to get back to the gym and start over again. I did some pad work and instantly got the buzz back.”
Still just 30 years of age, Barnes returns with ten years of professional experience to his name, as well as a fresh outlook on both life and his profession. No longer the free spirit of old, Barnes is ready to knuckle down and dedicate himself to living up to his undoubted potential.
“I’ve not had too many hard fights in my career and there is very little wear and tear there,” said Barnes. “I feel pretty fresh right now and I’m in my physical prime at 30 years of age. I still believe I can go on and become world champion if I put my mind to it.
“I think I’ve always had world-class potential and skills, but other things have prevented me from fulfilling that potential. I’ve had other distractions going on in my personal life and my mind has never fully been switched on to boxing. I was dedicated to training and boxing, but perhaps, in hindsight, was never as dedicated as I really should’ve been. As you grow older you get a wiser head, and I can now see all those mistakes with new eyes.”
With a clear head and fresh eyes, Barnes’ climb back to the top begins on November 26 in Rotherham. Within a matter of months he hopes to be challenging for and winning titles as a rejuvenated light-welterweight.
“I’m walking around at 10st 6lbs right now, so I’ll easily make light-welterweight (10st limit),” he said. “I’m looking to go as far as I can as quickly as I can in this weight-class. I know I’m still relatively young in this sport, but I’m not looking to hang around and start over.
“Ideally, I’d love to achieve my goals and retire within three years. My plan is to win the European title and then win and defend a world title. It’s one thing winning a world title, but to become a true champion I think you need to defend it as well. I’m hoping to win one, make a defence or two and then retire from the sport. I’ll be looking to make that happen as quickly as possible, and I’m not really interested in trying to win the British belt again. I’ve already won the British title in two different weight divisions. I’ve been there, done that. I want to achieve everything that escaped me first time around.”
*** Tickets for ‘War’ are priced at £30 (unreserved) and £60 (ringside) and can be purchased via www.coldwellboxing.com ***
