Show saver Barnes has his hands full tonight by Ben Carey Apr 22nd 2005

David Barnes' desire to establish himself as one of Britain's premier prospects could backfire on him tonight. The talented British welterweight champion will face Glossop based Namibian Ali Nuumbembe in an intriguing clash for the vacant WBO intercontinental welterweight title at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sport Network's latest Fight Skool card in association with David Coldwell's Koncrete Promotions. Barnes, who answered the call a week ago when original show-topper Michael Jennings pulled out of his English welterweight title defence against Gavin Down with an injured elbow, was initially booked to challenge Commonwealth champion Joseph Okine. But when the Ghanaian encountered Visa difficulties preventing him from travelling the match was shelved. Arguably, he has copped for a sterner assignment. Drafted in, on just five days notice, comes Nuumbembe, the darkest of dark horses who is regarded in some circles as one of the best-kept secrets on the British circuit. He was already in training for a dinner date in Scotland at the end of April. Trained by respected Manchester fight figure Bob Shannon, the “Silent Assassin” has quietly amassed a 11-1 (3) ledger and lives in a pub in Glossop owned by boxing enthusiast Chad Parker. Unheralded and largely unknown, Ali, nevertheless, had an excellent amateur grounding. Hailing from the same country as former WBO champion Harry Simon, Nuumbembe racked up 144 wins as an amateur against only a handful of defeats, scooping bronze in the 2002 Commonwealth games. Ali has recorded all 11 of his victories in Britain, mostly against modest opposition, his solitary loss occurring rather ironically when he returned home to contest the Namibian welterweight title against the unbeaten Bethuel Ushona last October. Expecting a hero's welcome, Nuumbembe was instead branded a traitor and it was perhaps no surprise that he went on to concede a highly controversial split decision. Undeterred, Nuumbembe returned to Glossop and has bounced back with two convincing points wins over former Central Area champion Lee Armstrong and Darlington's Francis Jones. The win over Jones was particularly impressive considering that Nuumbembe snapped the unbeaten record of the Darlington man by a deserved 60-56 margin at the Hartlepool Borough Hall. Strong and uncompromising, one ringsider preferred to describe Nuumbembe as a “f*****g handful” to me earlier this week. However, in David Barnes, Nuumbembe is up against the most improved fighter in the country. Possessing both style and substance, Barnes has made rapid strides since claiming the vacant British welterweight title with a contentious 115-114 points win over Jimmy Vincent as a 13-fight novice in July 2003. Though the verdict was labelled a robbery in some quarters (although I personally only had it to Vincent by 2), the manner in which Barnes rallied following an eighth round drubbing justified the faith promoter Frank Warren had shown in the 24-year-old. Hurt by criticism that dubbed him a fortunate champion, Barnes has answered his critics emphatically since then. Scotland's Kevin Mcintyre was coolly dismantled in eight in the first defence of Barnes' British crown and the Brian Hughes protégé followed this up with a clear points win over Ireland's Glen McClarnon. But the Manchester southpaw's acid test arrived against former Commonwealth and WBF ruler James Hare in November. Hare, with only one defeat in 32-fights, and ranked prominently by the IBF, was fancied to capitalise on Barnes' lack of consistency. But following a cagey opening spell, Barnes' lightening speed and surprising power saw him drop the Huddersfield box-fighter twice en route to a superb sixth round stoppage. David came of age that night in a performance that suggested he could go on to fight for world honours in the future. Victory over Hare earned Barnes the coveted Lonsdale belt in only his 16th fight as well as a number 10 ranking with the WBO (curiously Barnes' stablemate and English champion Michael Jennings is ranked 1) and a number 11 berth with the IBF. David has had one outing since then, strolling to a comfortable ten-round points triumph over Finnish hope Juho Tolppola in January. He has everything to lose and precious little to gain against Nuumbembe tonight. The pair have sparred before, and presumably Team Barnes will be quietly confident that their man has a little too much of everything for the rugged Namibian. However, if Nuumbembe needs a blue print to see how to beat Barnes he need only watch the tape of the British champion's struggle with Jimmy Vincent. Backed up and never given a moment's respite, Vincent refused to take a backward step as he relentlessly stalked the youngster from the opening bell to the last. The likeable Nuumbembe must try to do the same, but one wonders if this opportunity has arrived a little too soon for Ali and that he is merely happy just to be there. Nuumbembe, who possesses height and reach advantages, is likely to make a fist of things for the first half of the fight, but ultimately I feel the class and superior speed of Barnes will tell and he can eventually clinch a hard-fought points decision, although David has blown hot and cold. Expect Ali to make a mockery of his 10/1 odds though. On the undercard, Sheffield's Ryan Rhodes has his first fight back under the Sports Network banner when he attempts to go over all ground against Peter Jackson in a six-round middleweight contest. Rhodes, who has been looking excellent in the gym under new trainer David Coldwell (Coldwell also manages Rhodes) hasn't fought for a year and will step through the ropes without former mentor Brendan Ingle for the first time in his career. The former record breaking British light-middleweight champion should impress. A meeting of unbeatens pits an interesting derby match between Sheffield's Jon Ibbotson (2-0) and Rotherham's Daniel Teesdale (3-0, 1NC) over four-three's at light-heavyweight. The distance should suit the talented but wayward Teesdale. However, the bigger and more focussed Ibbotson is fancied to expose his rival's rumoured brittle chin.

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