On a tv present that was known as ‘Bunce’s Boxing Hour’ (hosted by the pundit Steve Bunce) the retired, former WBO tremendous featherweight world champion Barry Jones sat close to a younger flyweight fighter who known as himself ‘Prince’ Patel. Patel, who had a historical past of inflicting controversy, identified that he needed to be a boxer that individuals knew about, somebody that captured consideration, versus Jones:
“Nobody [says] ‘Barry Jones, let’s speak about Barry, he’s an unimaginable fighter’. He’s a forgotten champion,” Patel mentioned.
Jones smiled and stayed silent.
Insensitive as Patel was, there may be fact to the declare that not many recall Barry Jones as a world champion. Frankly, I used to be considered one of them; I used to be solely a toddler when Jones received his title, and I hadn’t develop into considering boxing but. By the point I did begin to observe the game, as a younger grownup, I by no means actually heard about Jones as a boxer in any respect. He’s now primarily referred to as a commentator, engaged on a few of the very largest fights on this planet, however I don’t know the way many individuals would recall his profession as a fighter. After seeing that second on Bunce’s Boxing Hour, I grew to become inquisitive about Jones and watched an interview with iFL TV the place he spoke in regards to the incident with Patel with clear irritation. It broke his coronary heart, he informed the interviewer, that he would without end be related to Patel after that notorious second, and I’ve to grimace a little bit in response, realizing that I’m persevering with to attract consideration to the second with this text.
Placing that second apart, nevertheless, Jones’s profession is fascinating. Simply after he reached his skilled peak as a boxer by defeating Wilson Palacio for the WBO tremendous featherweight belt, he was abruptly informed that he had a difficulty together with his mind that had proven up on a customary MRI scan. He misplaced his skilled boxing license, which in flip led to him dropping his world title, together with stopping him from boxing in any respect. Jones described this sensation to Shaun Brown as successful the lottery after which seeing your successful ticket fly away within the wind.
Jones refused to just accept this misfortune; he sought out a mind surgeon himself and had an unbiased analysis given. The surgeon opined that Jones was really match to proceed preventing, so Jones discovered himself again within the sport. He had a single comeback battle, after which ready to try to retake the very same title that he had received after which seen fly away within the wind: the WBO belt. The WBO champion at that time, nevertheless, was the famed Acelino Freitas.
Freitas was referred to as an especially highly effective puncher, and was each younger and undefeated, with a report of twenty-three wins, all knockouts. When he retired, nearly 20 years after he fought Jones, Freitas had solely misplaced twice in forty-three fights, and each of these losses had been to well-known, world class fighters within the type of Diego Corrales and Juan Diaz. Jones was, in a technique, the precise reverse of Freitas; relatively than being an influence puncher, Jones had just one KO victory on his report out of all his nineteen fights. That may be a startlingly low quantity. To place this into perspective, the identify that usually involves thoughts for boxing followers in regard to mild punching fighters is former world champion Paulie Malignaggi, and even Malignaggi began his profession with three KOs. (In all equity, Jones boxed Peter Buckley, a famously resilient journeyman, for 3 of his fights.) One other stunning element is that Jones – maybe cautious of extra issues over mind scans – apparently didn’t do any sparring in any respect within the build-up to his world title match with Freitas. One of many few constructive indications for Jones was that he had a tricky chin; he had by no means been knocked down in his profession.
The battle in opposition to Freitas occurred in Doncaster, UK, initially of the 12 months 2000. What is straight away hanging to me within the footage is the cheering for Jones within the viewers, with some members of the viewers holding a Welsh, ‘Highfields Ely’ flag aloft. You possibly can hear the group chanting his identify, in British football-esque trend, to the tune of ‘Vindaloo’. I hadn’t anticipated such assist, contemplating how little I had heard of Jones after his retirement; the followers appeared to like him. Jones stared on the canvas whereas the referee gave his directions. The muscular Freitas studied Jones, his head cocked to the aspect, a sheen of sweat under his hairline. He didn’t look fearful. Whereas Jones seemed like somebody you may stumble throughout on the road – a slender, pleasant everyman – Freitas had an air of distinctive dangerousness, and nearly a form of glamour.
Inside thirty seconds of the primary spherical, probably the most beautiful second of the battle occurred.
Jones was shifting, jabbing, his guard excessive. Freitas threw two of his personal jabs, after which, stepping ahead, he lunged right into a proper hand that stopped brief – both lacking or used as a feint – after which twisted into a strong trying left-hook. However Jones had been ready. After that proper hand from Freitas, he launched a pointy left-hook of his personal, and Freitas dropped to the canvas, surprised. He obtained to his ft and eliminated his mouthpiece because the referee counted. Eradicating the mouthpiece after a knockdown clearly isn’t remarkable – Diego Corrales famously did this in opposition to Jose Luis Castillo 5 years after this battle – however, because the commentators identified, it was most probably used to purchase time, which might indicate Freitas wasn’t simply off steadiness or shocked. He was really harm. He slyly obtained a number of further seconds of relaxation whereas the mouthpiece drawback was resolved, after which the battle went on. Freitas had extra bounce now, however was hit by two extra left hand pictures from Jones. The gang sang for Jones once more. Their champion was again.
Freitas, as if maddened, began throwing extra, and the punches had been onerous, formidable ones, principally blocked or lacking however driving Jones again. Jones, maybe panicking a little bit, threw a left however fell brief. He tried once more, a left that when once more fell brief, and this time Freitas watched, set his ft, after which threw one straight proper hand to the jaw, and Jones fell to the canvas, trying dazed. He pulled himself again up utilizing the ropes. As quickly as Jones stood, and the referee continued the battle, Freitas jumped proper at him and Jones jumped proper again in response, like a panicked cat. Freitas attacked him with the depth of somebody who’s both determined to finish a battle or just one who is happy to complete his opponent. Jones, his again in opposition to the ropes, blocked and ducked however Freitas hit him with a left hook to the physique that one can hear even amidst the noise from the group and the commentators. It seemed and sounded onerous sufficient to have ended the battle.
When Jones went to the canvas this time he curled up on his knees, his face on his gloves, after which pressed his head to the canvas itself, as if praying. On the rely of eight he was nonetheless on his knees. He lastly stood on the rely of 9, his face marked as he nodded to the referee. Freitas, as soon as once more, got here at him unmercifully. Once more he attacked, and Jones blocked, then lashed out together with his personal pictures, clinching, dodging, bouncing. Freitas bounded after him, however the bell rang and the spherical ended. Freitas spun round to go to his nook, invigorated, whereas Jones, gloves on his hips, slowly turned to return to his personal.
Jones went on to be knocked down 4 extra occasions because the rounds went on. Watching him, I questioned what stored him getting up time and again, even after being crushed down with terribly highly effective punches. Was it easy intuition, a form of ingrained stubbornness? After the ultimate knockdown in spherical seven, from a physique shot, Jones sank to the canvas on one knee, gloves tight in opposition to his face; he resembled a helpless baby. However then, respiratory deeply, he stood once more, beating the referee’s rely. He hadn’t had sufficient, however his father, within the nook, wasn’t going to proceed seeing his son endure extra. He waved the white towel, which the referee didn’t see. Jones bounced away from Freitas, blocking pictures, till his father outright threw the towel into the ring, and the referee lastly stepped in.
Tears. The tears didn’t come from Jones, although, however as a substitute from Freitas; he cried as he hugged the folks in his nook, and so they stroked his head. After a number of moments he walked over to Jones and hugged him too, earlier than Jones held Freitas’s arm aloft to the viewers, an viewers that continued to sing for Jones simply as they’d performed on the very starting of the battle. When the 2 fighters posed for an image collectively, Jones, in a playful second, pressed his lips to Freitas’s cheek, and in his post-fight interview with Ian Darke he smiled when it concluded with Darke praising his effort. Jones by no means fought once more.
Earlier than the match with Freitas, The Irish Occasions despaired on the alternative to permit Jones to battle after his problematic mind scan, and went so far as to say that nobody in boxing would bear in mind Jones’s identify in one other ten years. Twenty-four years later, he’s broadly identified and appreciated amongst boxing followers for his commentary, and there may be additionally one thing to understand and bear in mind in that remaining battle with Freitas. He despatched a superb, undefeated fighter to the canvas, after which took crushing blows from the identical fighter however refused to remain down. I, for one, will bear in mind him as a fighter in addition to a commentator.
–Aamir Mehar
