Barrett: "If I can't beat clowns like Alexander, I'm not going anywhere"

Ryan Barrett has been taking a few verbal shots from his next opponent Mark Alexander in the build-up to their 11 September grudge match. Now fight night is just around the corner he wants to give some back in a more physical form when they meet in the ring. The pair face off for the International Masters lightweight title on a Goodwin Promotions bill at the York Hall, Bethnal Green.

The bill has been aptly labelled, “It’s Personal”, and also features an interesting ten rounder between unbeaten Pat McAleese and Lee Noble. Ryan has been training hard for this bout and has just returned to the UK from a two week training camp in Spain.

“When I was training for the fight with Jamie McKeever I found a great little gym out in Spain. I thought it would be ideal preparation for this fight and it’s nice to get two weeks in the sun and do some hard work," revealed Barrett to BoxRec News.

“I had a check weigh in yesterday and was 10st 5lb which is all good, so I have just got another 10lbs to lose before the fight. What could make a difference is that Alexander has spent most of his career at featherweight and super-featherweight, while I have been fighting at lightweight for a while now. Come the day of the fight Alexander will probably be around 10st 1lb and I’m going to be all of 10st 7lb and above.”

“While I’ve been in England I’ve been doing my sparring with some guys from Birmingham who have just turned pro and I’ve got a flood of amateur kids at my gym (Gumshield) in Eltham," Barrett continued.

Ryan’s fight with Alexander is headlining the eleven fight card but when asked if he thought this was a big fight for him he was uncertain. “I don’t really class it as a huge fight, it’s just something I’ve got to get over before I move on and get my next big fight. He was the one who has been calling me out. He wouldn’t normally have been on my agenda but now his mouth needs shutting."

“For some reason he doesn’t like me and I certainly don’t like him. I still don’t understand for the life of me how he thinks he can win! He’s only ever been fighting four or six round fights and now he’s jumping into a ten-rounder. It looks like he has a stamina issue after watching him fall apart against Michael Brodie after four rounds.”

In April this year Alexander put on maybe the best performance of his career with a three rounds destruction of young Michael Devine. Ryan is sure this fight will be different and he won’t end up the same way as Devine.

“He’s jazzing that up like he’s going to knock me down that many times, does he really think I will be lunging in with my chin up in the air waiting for him to take it off? I’m far too wise for that.”

Barrett has had a decent career in the eight years he has been fighting. He won the English super-featherweight title in 2008 with a knockout win over Femi Fehintola in Jersey, of all places. He also fought for the British title in 2007 (losing in five to John Simpson) and lost a unanimous decision to Willie Limmond when bidding for the WBU lightweight bauble in 2009. Most notably of all perhaps, Ryan was swept aside by a young Amir Khan in one round in 2006 - no disgrace given Khan's subsequent world title accomplishment.

Barrett is very confident of defeating Alexander but is clear what will happen if he did lose. “If I lose there will be no more. If I can’t beat clowns like him I’m not going anywhere. If I can’t beat Alexander, I’ve got to really look at myself and think I’ve had a fair crack at it and now it's time for me to call it a day.”