Sport

Paddy Barnes targeting IBF world title shot next summer

Paddy Barnes after defeat by Cristofer Rosales during the WBC Flyweight Title fight at Windsor Park
Paddy Barnes after defeat by Cristofer Rosales during the WBC Flyweight Title fight at Windsor Park Paddy Barnes after defeat by Cristofer Rosales during the WBC Flyweight Title fight at Windsor Park

PADDY Barnes hopes to fight for the IBF flyweight title next summer.

Belfast’s ‘Leprechaun’ – who lost a came up short when challenging Cristofer Rosales for the WBC version in August – returns to action on the undercard of Frampton-Warrington on Saturday night intending to finish 2018 – which hasn’t delivered what many thought it would – on a positive note.

There’s never a dull moment with Barnes who takes on Ghanaian Isaac Quaye (31-18-1) at Manchester Arena. Quaye – who has been in with the likes of Kal Yafai and Lee Haskins in the past – has stepped in after original opponent Conor Blackshaw pulled out and should give him a worthwhile test over six rounds.

“It’s me getting back to winning ways and building up to a big 2019,” said Barnes.

“I’m aiming now for a shot at the IBF title now. The champion (South African Moruti Mthalane) is 37, he’s older than me so if I can’t beat an oul boy like that there’s no point in me boxing any more.”

Barnes went into 2018 on the back of a mighty impressive KO win over Eliecer Quezada at the SSE Arena and hopes were high for the former Holy Family ABC star. But he has only had one fight this year – that loss to Rosales at Windsor Park.

“I was offered two other fights – I was asked to fight on the (Michael) Conlon bill and the Frampton bill but I turned them down because I wanted my sixth fight to be for a world title,” he explained.

“I don’t care about winning fights, I just want to create history. There’s load of world champions from Ireland but I want to stand out. The likes of Frampton…”

At this point Frampton, sitting across the table yesterday in the lobby of the Midland Hotel interjects: “Carl is my name.

“Steven Ward always calls me Frampton as well and it annoys me. Call me Carl.”

Barnes continues, smiling: “I’ll call him what I want to call him.

“He, Carl, will create history on Saturday night by winning another world title. Ryan Burnett unified himself so for me just to be a world champion is not enough – I wanted to be the fastest one and I’m still on course to do it. That was the reason behind having one fight all year.

“I don’t want to build my record up fighting eejits, I want to fight the world’s best. I always wanted to jump in at the deep end and fight these elite fighters and see how I get on with them.

“I don’t want to be a British level fighter or a domestic level fighter, I want to go out there and fight the best in the world. I’m 31 now, I want to go out and fight the best and see how I get on. I did that in my last fight and lost but I feel I could have won that fight.

“I want to jump in again and try and redeem myself.

“I want to get there before 10 – I hoping two more fights (including Saturday night) and then I’ll box for the IBF.”

Michael Conlan will fight in the Falls Park in August at Feile an Phobail and Barnes doesn’t rule out having his IBF title shot on that bill.

“I wouldn’t mind fighting at the Feile,” he said.

“It would be brilliant to fight in my home city again. Who knows?”

Barnes boxed beautifully for almost four rounds at Windsor Park before Rosales caught him with a thumping bodyshot. He went down and couldn’t beat the count.

“It was going perfect – in hindsight I’m a bit disappointed in myself because I boxed a bit too much I stood and fought him – but I felt comfortable inside,” he said.

“He was longer so it suited me to stand with him. If I fought him again I would definitely change my tactics but it is what it is. He caught me with a good shot – that’s boxing.

“The hardest thing was that it was for the WBC title, the best belt in boxing.

“I was gutted for a whole week.

“But having been in the amateurs and maybe losing in the arsehole of nowhere I just have that mentality that it is what it is. It’s boxing; you lose sometimes.

“But the fight didn’t come too early for me, definitely not. I feel like I could have won that fight, he just caught me with a very good shot.

“Saturday night will get me back to winning ways. I’m still a novice pro, but not a novice fighter. I’ll get back to winning ways and push on for 2019.”