TalkingBoxing's British Update
Ali steps in to give Barnes test; Muttley to do dastardly things to Hall
by
Dave Crellin
4/20 - As British boxing approaches a lull there are a couple of interesting bouts this weekend to keep the wind in the fans’ sails before the doldrums set in.
The Sports Network card in Barnsley on Friday is headed by one of the nation’s rising talents, David Barnes, who faces Derbyshire-based Namibian Ali Nuumbembe for the WBO Intercontinental strap at welter. Nuumbembe is a late replacement for Joshua Okine, the Commonwealth champion, and is a handy prospect himself. Quite from where Frank Warren’s team rustled up the WBO belt is unclear, but hey, they saved the show and the late replacement for once came before I went to press.
Barnes has to be favourite, no question. The Mancunian has been marked as a real talent since his demolition of James Hare to claim the Lonsdale belt outright last November. A smart mover with good all-round skills and a handy dig, he should be too much for the talented but inexperienced Nuumbembe, whose one loss in 12 was a controversial one back in his African homeland. A good showing by Nuumbembe will do him a world of good, though.
The big news around Barnes is that the British Board of Boxing Control have given him a mandatory challenger in Jimmy Vincent, the rugged gypoic who Barnes fought – and beat very controversially – for the vacant title. This is a rematch that many have been looking for for some time and it would be great if journeyman-come-good Vincent can have another crack at the title. Barnes has matured a lot since then but it would still be a good tear-up.
An interesting card pops up at the Equinox nightclub in Leicester Square on Sunday. Rueben Groenwald, whose last two outings have seen him lose his WBU middleweight title to Anthony Farnell (in 2002) and drop an eight-round decision to Danilo Haussler last October, faces Alan Gilbert, ostensibly for something called the WBF Intercontinental Super-Middleweight Title. The belt is barely worth getting warmed up for, but Groenwald, despite his recent inactivity, shouldn’t really have to expend too much more energy against Gilbert, the South London man whose 8 wins from 24 include only 3 wins in his last 17. He’s been in with some decent company, but with predictable success.
Julius Francis is rolled out on the undercard as the opponent for stocky young heavyweight Michael Steed. Francis has the brains but not the desire to win.
A potentially exciting light-welterweight tie takes place on Thursday as upcoming Midlander Young Muttley has a home fixture against Oscar Hall, from the Ingle camp. Hall definitely has talent but his career has largely been built on the back of professional opponents. Hall is at something of a crossroads at 30 – it’s now or never for the Yorkshireman and this may well give him the urgency that has often been missing. Muttley should have the experience, having won the English belt a year ago, but you write off Ingle fighters at your peril.
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