Zelfa Barrett hopes for perfect tribute to late mum by landing world title

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    Zelfa Barrett will hear the words of his late mum in his ear as he bids to win a world title in her honour this weekend.

    The Manchester man lost his “best friend” to cancer in June 2021 but mum Sonia’s advice won’t be forgotten as he takes on Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for the IBF super-featherweight title in Abu Dhabi. Barrett, 29, was devastated by the loss of his mother but hopes he can do her proud in the ring.

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    “To be fair, boxing has saved my life,” said Barrett. “It helped me through it, it got me to focus and forget about certain things. It got me to destress. “It saved my life and it helped me deal with the loss of my mum.

    “My mum was my best friend but she is with me all the time anyways. he will give me the power to win the belt on Saturday night. She loved my boxing, she was like saying the same things all the time when I’m in the ring ‘keep on him, one two’.

    “She never got nervous before fights. She is with me now still, she can do more on the other side now to help me get this belt.”

    Barrett’s loss of his mum is not the first tragedy he has had to deal with. His mum’s face is tattooed on his chest, while his late brother John is just above his wrist, on the other side of his arm is his cousin Wayne. Both were taken before their time.

    John was stabbed when Zelfa was just 18. Boxing couldn’t save him. Sadly, it was – and still is – a regular occurrence in the area of Manchester where Barrett grew up.

    He found solace in the Collyhurst and Moston Boxing Club which does so much for the area and with his uncle – and former British and European champion – Pat in his corner he is now within touching distance of a world title after 29 fights and just one shock defeat.

    “It has kept me on the straight and narrow,” said Barrett. “It has kept me sane, it has kept me away the bad vibes. Look where I am now. I’m fighting for a world title in Abu Dhabi.”

    Barrett is not the only one in his family who has found success through sport. His cousin Lyndon Arthur is a talented light-heavyweight. While another cousin is Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams. They’re all friends with music star Bugsy Malone, too.

    “You don’t have to be a product of your environment,” he said. "We are from the area but once we put our minds to something we knew we could live it."

    Barrett took this fight on relatively short notice after Welshman Joe Cordina was stripped of the belt back in September after suffering a hand injury. He faces a mighty challenge against the tough and unbeaten Tajikistan native Rakhimov.

    “This is what happens when you live in the gym,” added Barrett. “You get opportunities like this.

    “If I wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t have taken it because the chance would have come anyways. I’m ranked No 2 with the IBF so it just would have been a longer time. I’ve been ready for this for a long time.”

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