Barnes Dominates Bami For British Title

Smooth southpaw David Barnes captured the vacant British junior welterweight title on Friday night in front of his home fans in Manchester, UK after a one sided points win over Ted Bami.

Dropping down a weight class after claiming the Lonsdale belt outright amongst other glories at welterweight, Barnes’ tricky skills up against the blunt pressure from Bami looked to be an interesting clash of talents.

Barnes pawed warily with his southpaw jab in the opening stages and boxed on the move for most of round one to avoid exchanges with the heavy handed Bami.

With Bami looking to unload when in close, Barnes looked to tie up his man in an effort to stifle the attacks and despite so effectively, suffered a cut above his left eyelid after a clash of heads - so often seen in a southpaw v orthodox clash - just seconds into round two. The cut only serving to put more spite in Barnes’ punches, the cut never looked as though it would end the fight as the Manchester born sharpshooter boxed his way into a three round lead in the face of an aggressive but unimaginative Bami.

The pressure tactics being employed by the Londoner Bami were certainly the right way to go against a boxer as quick and elusive as David Barnes, but into round five his come forward but lunging efforts still hadn’t made a dent in his 27-year-old foe.

Bami’s nickname in the ring is ‘Dangerous’, but the most dangerous element in tonight’s fight was proving to be Barnes’ perfect left cross - the shot continuing to knock back the head of Bami time and again.

You couldn’t fault the constant work coming from 30-year-old Bami and it had surely been successful in taking a couple of the close rounds in the bout.

Despite the work though, there was no finesse in his punch output. And when you’re a quick, cagey southpaw being confronted with a lunging, predictable orthodox fighter - it’s just a case of getting your punches off without leaving your chin out to dry.

The former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Barnes came forward more after the halfway mark as he realised he could use his frame and accuracy to push Bami back.

His crisp counterpunching and fast hands as well as successful tying up in close, negated the raw aggression from Bami more and more throughout the rounds and by the twelfth and final round the Brixton fighter needed a jackpot punch to win the fight, but it wasn’t to come as he suffered his third loss, his record slipping to 23-3 (11).

Contrastingly, in a performance close to his former glories a few years ago, judge’s scorecards of 119-110 and 117-111 twice, only reinforced David Barnes ascendancy.

His only loss coming back in June 2005 at the hands of a fellow southpaw in Ghana’s Joshua Okine, Barnes has worked his way back slowly with a series of four, six and eight round fights up until tonight’s capturing of the British junior welterweight crown over two and a half years later.

Now 23-1 (11) an emotional Barnes in the post fight interview expressed his wish to have a few more fights to shed ring rust before gunning for the European junior welterweight title. A belt currently held by Britain’s Colin Lynes.