The fight that will finally get Jones the recognition he deserves.
It’s not that Barrie Jones (10-0, 9 KO's), who sits at 10-0, with nine knockouts, and two-division titles shouldn’t already have the recognition for being not just one of the best bare knucklers on the planet but possibly ever, it’s the fact that the bare knuckle scene wasn’t popular enough when he won his biggest fights.
Those came in 2022, when he beat the guy who arguably was the guy not once but twice. That was Jimmy Sweeney (19-4, 13 KO's). Two years may not sound like a long time ago but for bare knuckle it is. Especially when you add in the fact that he did so outside of the most popular bare knuckle organization in the world which is BKFC. He won those fights under the BKB banner which doesn’t even exist anymore as they were bought by BYB Extreme this year. The organization responsible for pitting him against fellow two-division champion LT Nelson (5-1-1, 5 KO's) on August 17th and the fight that could earn him the recognition he deserves.
It’s also been over a year since we last saw “The Welsh Wrecking Machine” in the ring.
This fight against Nelson is one of the best in recent memory when it comes to straight up skill vs skill. No matter the organization. It’s a coin flip on who’s going to win. It’s a matchup of two-division champions. It’s possibly the biggest fight BYB has ever put on. And it’s taking place in Jones’ backyard of Cardiff, Wales. That’s why it could mean so much for him to win this fight.
The reality is he’s 39 years old. By the logic of history, he doesn’t have many more fighting years in him. This very well could be his last few chances to cement his legacy. Combat sports history also suggests, especially when it comes to all-time talents, that they do sometimes have the one or two legendary performances at the end of their career. This is Jones’ chance at having his.
As for the fight itself, this one will take place in a ring with rules that Nelson is actually more comfortable with. The BYB rules and the “Mighty Trigon.” It is worth noting though, the last time Jones fought was under these same circumstances at BYB 18 vs Tommy Turner, which was a BKB vs BYB event. The biggest differences between the two is BYB is fought in a small triangle where BKB was fought in a traditional square ring. Also, BYB allows punches in the clinches where it wasn’t allowed in BKB. In the Turner fight, Jones didn’t even get to really experience the differences as he stopped him in the first round. Both him and Nelson are actually coming off first round stoppages against Turner.
Barrie Jones is one of the pioneers of this sport and is a big part of getting it to where it is today. It’s not his fault that it’s taken this long to get here. On August 17th, win, lose, or draw, his legacy shouldn’t be affected, the result just gives him the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his career’s work a little bit more.
Photo courtesy: BKB
Comments