‘Sorry Jess, the belts are coming back to Bolton’ - Buczynskyj

Countdown has begun for the Excelsior double title thriller

LINZI Buczynskyj – the pro who’s done things the hard way – has not a shred of doubt Jess Barry will be an ex-champ when the dust settles on their tantalising title battle tomorrow (Thursday).

The Bolton challenger will be driven by revenge when she faces the Coventry “Banshee” on Scott Murray’s St Patrick’s show at the plush Excelsior Club, Cannock. Jess was the very last boxer to beat Buczynskyj in the amateurs.

The pair meet over 10 rounds for Barry’s English featherweight title and the vacant Commonwealth silver belt.

“There’s no doubt the belts are coming back to Bolton,” Buczynskj, who has an 18-year-old son, told me.

“It’s going to be a tough fight, it’s going to be electric.”

It looks a barnstormer. Thirty-year-old Barry, who has lost only one of seven, is an all-action bundle of fury in the ring. Buczynskyj believes in fighting fire with fire.

“I think she’s an exciting fighter,” Linzi, aged 36, said, “but we are prepared for whatever she wants to bring – whether it’s toe-to-toe war or if she tries to box.

“I can adjust. If I need to box on the back-foot, I can. I can stand there and have a war. I train to make sure there are no weaknesses.”

That training has been conducted by Linzi’s partner and former pro Pav Drago.

Linzi Buczynskyj…former champ has fought exclusively on the road

She comes to Cannock with a patchy 5-4 record, but those stats don’t tell the whole story. Buczynskyj made history in 2022 by becoming the first female area champion by beating Chelsey Arnell  for the Central title. Arnell would go on to lose to Barry for the English crown.

She has fought exclusively on the road. Six of Buczynskyj’s opponents were unbeaten before they faced her and the list includes Olympians.

“I think that experience will be important,” she said. “I also had a lot of experience as an amateur – 35 fights and it was hard to get fights on home shows. I was always travelling away.

“Jess Barry was my last fight as an amateur. It was a good fight and I’m looking for that bit of amateur revenge.”

Buczynskyj’s manager, Kevin Maree, has issued a storm warning to the Excelsior Club’s elegantly attired patrons. There’s going to be a blizzard of punches in the ring.

“I wasn’t there for their amateur bout, but apparently it was a real ding-dong,” he said. “Without headguards and smaller gloves, this one can only go the same way.

“I have to give Linzi huge credit for her attitude. She’s taken tough fights, she’s done things the hard way. She has built a lot of experience by going into other fighters’ backyards and appearing on TV shows.

“I can promise Jess Barry she’s in for a hard night. Linzi has boxed Olympians and people expected to go for world titles. Not one of them has ever put a dent in Linzi. Her attitude is incredible. She could’ve built a record on our home shows, but she just loves a challenge, she loves to box.”