Barrett draws on family legacy in world title bid

Barrett has 28 wins on his record with 16 knockouts

While many boxers talk of the first time they wandered into the gym as a lucky event, Manchester's Zelfa 'Brown Flash' Barrett is not one who came to boxing by chance.

"I started boxing from the age of six," the 29-year-old explains.

"My uncles Mike and Pat were both heavily involved in the game. Early on, it was Mike who taught me the basics.

"He would have me on the pads at his house, then he started taking me up to the gym in Ancoats. My older brothers were both boxing, so I would tag along with them."

As a teenager Barrett started working with Pat, who retired from boxing in 1994 after winning British and European light-welterweight titles.

"I would bunk off school to go and train with Pat and the professional boxers in his gym, which gave me a brilliant start," he said.

"He's been my trainer ever since, so it's very much a family affair and that's important to me."

• Barrett to fight for vacant IBF title

The Barrett family's sporting connections go beyond the two uncles. Zelfa is the cousin of former Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur and Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams.

Zelfa's brother John, once a keen boxer himself, died after being stabbed in a nightclub in 2011. The tragedy has spurred Barrett on ever since.

"It was awful, but in a way it gave me an incentive," he says. "Like no-one can hurt me as much as I've been hurt in life. No man can punch me or beat me as bad as that. That's what I took from it."

It's a mindset that has now taken Barrett to the brink of world championship glory. He faces Tajikistan's Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-featherweight title on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

He will have an opportunity to raise the name of the Barrett family, putting them on the level of other famous British boxing dynasties such as the Benns or Eubanks, should he win his first world title.

'I'm bringing that title home'

Barrett is trained by his uncle Pat who was also a boxer

Barrett has just one defeat on his record in 29 fights, a shock loss to Ronnie Clarke in 2018, but has rebuilt his reputation excellently since then.

World title opportunity knocked unexpectedly when Barrett was offered the biggest fight of his career.

While going about his regular routine waiting for a fight date in December, his manager Steve Wood rang.

"It was a bit of a surprise," he says. "Steve just asked out of the blue if I fancied boxing for the IBF world title.

"The fight date was only five weeks away, which obviously is short notice for a world title shot, but there was no hesitation from me."

Barrett's big chance comes via another fighter's bitter disappointment. A hand injury suffered by former champion Joe Cordina meant the Welshman was stripped of his belt.

A new opponent was sought for mandatory challenger Rakhimov and Barrett received the call. The two will now face off for the vacant title.

Rakhimov is undefeated, ranked number one by the IBF and has fought for the title before, when he boxed to a draw with American Joseph Diaz.

Barrett holds the number two position and earns his chance through impressive wins over South Africa's Bruno Tarimo in a world title eliminator last December and Faroukh Kourbanov to claim the European crown in June.

The winner is expected to defend the belt against Cordina next year, assuming his hand has healed, but Barrett knows he cannot afford to think beyond the fight in front of him.

"I'm 100% focused, as you would expect," he says.

"We watched a lot of Rakhimov and he's very solid, very aggressive and a southpaw, so we need to take that into account.

"I'm not going to over hype it, but I'm super, super confident. Twelve weeks training camp, 10 weeks, or five - it doesn't matter. I'm bringing that title home."