Time for Barry to put bad breaks behind her and grab top title

Jess “Banshee” Barry…fights for English feather title on Sunday

FOR Coventry’s battling “Banshee” Jess Barry the frustrations and bad breaks that have blighted her career are over.

On Sunday afternoon, December 1, Barry makes her own luck when she bids to become English featherweight champ.

The 30-year-old faces Chelsey Arnell over 10 rounds on a Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport show, jointly staged by Scott Murray and Top Promotions.

I expected Barry to do it, and do it in some style.

Arnell, from Hull, is no slouch, with only one loss in six, but Barry, the reigning Midlands junior-lightweight champ, seems to have found a new level of controlled aggression since switching her training base to Eastside, Birmingham. She looks a very different physical specimen, too.

And Jess, who also has a single blemish on a six bout record, is in tremendous shape. Dropping down a weight division won’t be a factor: Barry always appeared small for junior-light and Arnell will have height and reach advantage.

Manager Jon Pegg said: “Scott (Murray) watched her last spar and couldn’t believe how she’s come on. She’s looking very, very good.”

I’d previously written the clash for the vacant title was a history-maker. It was, I wrongly believed, the first all female English championship battle.

I was wrong. In 2006, Cathy Brown outpointed Juliette Winter for the flyweight belt, which is a new one on me.

“Barry-Arnell is the first proper one,” Pegg laughed, “and definitely a first for the Midlands.”

It looks a very good scrap between two women who like to come forward and throw leather.

“Chelsey is a bit more of a boxer because she’s taller,” Pegg said. “She likes to mix it. She’ll face someone who is doing what she’s doing, but doing it better than her.

“Jess has got the weight off properly. She’s learned to concentrate on the things she’s good at rather than trying to do everything.

“Her strengths are her aggression, dedication and body punches – some of the lads in the gym have commented on how hard she hits to the body.”

If Barry is crowned on Sunday, then much bigger things are within her grasp.

Pegg added: “We look at the British title, but that could be at super-bantam. Jess made featherweight very easily and was only just over the limit at the check weigh-in.”

Pick of a three fight undercard is the clash between Telford’s rock hard former Midlands light-welter champ Kirk Stevens and dangerous, avoided Jahfieus Faure.

The Birmingham boxer has a patchy record, but has fought very good men on the road. Last month he ended the unbeaten run of Wolverhampton ticketseller Brandon Bethell.

It’s a meeting of fine, underrated pros who have done it the hard wayand Stevens needs to be at his best.

Also appearing are fledgling pros Brad Willetts and Leo Fanthome.