Hennessy Boxing: Steve Barnes Next Prospect From Sheffield

British boxing could witness an exciting new dawn later this month with a host of shooting stars featuring on the Hennessy Sports “Rule Britannia” event in Wigan on June 13th.

The ITV4 televised card at the Robin Park Arena will be headlined by the British Lightweight title fight between John Murray and Scott Lawton with hot prospects Tyson Fury, his cousin Phill Fury, Steve “Super Bad” Barnes and Bobby “Boogaloo” Ward all featuring on the undercard.

Fury, the 20-year-old, 6 foot 9 inch heavyweight from Manchester has already created a huge stir in British boxing while his cousin Phill made a winning start to his pro career last month. Barnes only recently turned 18 and will be having his third pro fight in Wigan while Ward, the last English man to beat Amir Khan will be making his pro debut.

Barnes is the latest protégé to roll off the famous Ingle Gym conveyor belt in Sheffield and big things are expected from the teenage featherweight who was a decorated amateur.

His father and namesake Steve picks up the story. “We’ve always been a boxing family, my own father boxed in the army and my 5 brothers all boxed,” recalled Barnes Senior. “Even as a small kid Steve used to put on the gloves at home and once he turned 7 I took him down to Brendan Ingle’s gym.

“I used to help train the amateurs there at the time so he came up with through the ranks with guys like Kell Brook and he took to the sport straight away.

“He won 4 National titles and he’s a Four Nations Gold medallist but it got to a point where we couldn’t get anyone to fight him in the amateurs. He was just proving too strong for the other kids and nobody wanted to fight him.”

Barnes turned pro with a debut win in Ireland last November and followed that up with an impressive first round KO in Watford last month. He’s already had his style compared to a mix of Ricky Hatton and some of the finest exponents of the Ingle gym and his father believes it’s a style that will take him a long way.

“He loves to throw body shots but he never got any credit for them in the amateurs because they rarely score them on the computer but the pro’s should really suit him. He’s naturally very, very strong and I think it will really surprise people in the pro’s just how strong he is considering his age. He hits as hard as a welterweight and I think as he matures that power will only increase.

“He’s also a clever boxer and he’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s a very quiet kid but he never gets nervous before fights and he’ll fight anyone, he doesn’t care who it is. That was always his attitude in the amateurs because he knew when the championships came around that you had to take on whoever you got in the draw so he has a real winning mentality.

“He’s still very young but he’s made a decent start and he’s in the best gym in the country and he has the right people around him. He lives the life, he doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke and he has a steady girlfriend.

“He’s under no illusions about the pro ranks because he’s grown up around pro’s in the gym and been all over the country to the shows so he’s seen first hand just how hard a game it is. It’s a man’s game and he knows it’s not going to get any easier. He’s made a good start but he knows he’ll have to keep improving and as long as he keeps busy then I think he can go a long, long way in the sport.”

The John Murray – Scott Lawton British Lightweight title fight headlines a big night of boxing at the Robin Park Arena, Wigan on Saturday, June 13th. Tyson Fury features in the chief support while in a battle of Champions, Central Area title holder Nadeem Siddique takes on Southern Area Champ, Tom Glover.

Exciting Canadian puncher Andrew Singh Kooner also appears alongside Barnes, Phill Fury and Ward.

Tickets are available from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.