Lee Selby to fight Jonathan Barros on Eubank Jr vs. Abraham bill
Lee Selby's long-awaited IBF world featherweight title fight against Jonathan Barros has landed on the same bill as Chris Eubank Jr-Arthur Abraham.
The Welshman will face his mandatory challenger in a third defence at Wembley Arena on July 15 on the undercard of the super-middleweight fight between Eubank Jr and Abraham, who meet for the fringe IBO belt.
Selby (24-1, 9 KOs), 30, had been due to meet Argentine Barros (41-4-1, 22 KOs) in Las Vegas in January, but was left without a fight and out of a pocket when the Argentine was ruled out 24 hours before the fight because he did not meet the licensing requirements of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Selby's team had hoped to instead meet rival Briton Carl Frampton (23-1, 14 KOs) in a bigger earner this summer but were unable to get out of facing Barros next.
Frampton, the former WBA champion, instead faces Mexican Andres Gutierrez in Belfast on July 29 and Selby hopes the pair can now meet later in 2017.
"Barros is going to pay, simple as that," said Selby.
"I was mucked around last time because he and his team couldn't get their act together and this time, all I can say is, I can't wait.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be fighting him at last, on a huge bill in London and with the stage set for me. "I have been a worthy IBF world champion and beating a tough customer like Barros will put me in the hot seat for a fight with Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg, or any of the other world champions.
"Either of those Brits would suit me down to earth. But first it is Barros and I'm determined to make him pay. I don't need any motivation for this one. I was there in Las Vegas ready to fight and through no fault of my own it didn't happen. It is now and Barros will be taken apart.
"I've never been so up for a fight in my life, not even when I won the world title. This is all about getting me back in the limelight, showing the fans what they have missed and becoming a hero in Wales and the rest of Britain."
But Selby has yet to fight in Wales since winning the belt from Evgeny Gradovich in May 2015 and has made defences against Fernando Montiel and Eric Hunter in America and London. He was last in action against Spain's Andoni Gago, who he stopped in nine rounds last March in a non title bout.
Barros, 33, is a former WBA world featherweight champion (2010-2011) who has won his last seven fights, including a split points decision over Satoshi Hosono in Tokyo last October. His last defeat was five years ago to reigning WBC world lightweight champion Mikey Garcia, who stopped him in the eighth round.
"Barros has only been stopped once in 46 fights so he is clearly a very good, very experienced campaigner," said Selby.
"His record proves that. He has also won seven in a row so he is on a roll, but it is about to come crashing down against me in London."
Source: http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19651181/lee-selby-fight-jonathan-barros-undercard-chris-eubank-jr-vs-arthur-abraham-july-15-wembley
The Welshman will face his mandatory challenger in a third defence at Wembley Arena on July 15 on the undercard of the super-middleweight fight between Eubank Jr and Abraham, who meet for the fringe IBO belt.
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| IBF world featherweight champion Lee Selby will face Jonathan Barros on July 15. |
Selby's team had hoped to instead meet rival Briton Carl Frampton (23-1, 14 KOs) in a bigger earner this summer but were unable to get out of facing Barros next.
Frampton, the former WBA champion, instead faces Mexican Andres Gutierrez in Belfast on July 29 and Selby hopes the pair can now meet later in 2017.
"Barros is going to pay, simple as that," said Selby.
"I was mucked around last time because he and his team couldn't get their act together and this time, all I can say is, I can't wait.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be fighting him at last, on a huge bill in London and with the stage set for me. "I have been a worthy IBF world champion and beating a tough customer like Barros will put me in the hot seat for a fight with Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg, or any of the other world champions.
"Either of those Brits would suit me down to earth. But first it is Barros and I'm determined to make him pay. I don't need any motivation for this one. I was there in Las Vegas ready to fight and through no fault of my own it didn't happen. It is now and Barros will be taken apart.
"I've never been so up for a fight in my life, not even when I won the world title. This is all about getting me back in the limelight, showing the fans what they have missed and becoming a hero in Wales and the rest of Britain."
But Selby has yet to fight in Wales since winning the belt from Evgeny Gradovich in May 2015 and has made defences against Fernando Montiel and Eric Hunter in America and London. He was last in action against Spain's Andoni Gago, who he stopped in nine rounds last March in a non title bout.
Barros, 33, is a former WBA world featherweight champion (2010-2011) who has won his last seven fights, including a split points decision over Satoshi Hosono in Tokyo last October. His last defeat was five years ago to reigning WBC world lightweight champion Mikey Garcia, who stopped him in the eighth round.
"Barros has only been stopped once in 46 fights so he is clearly a very good, very experienced campaigner," said Selby.
"His record proves that. He has also won seven in a row so he is on a roll, but it is about to come crashing down against me in London."
Source: http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19651181/lee-selby-fight-jonathan-barros-undercard-chris-eubank-jr-vs-arthur-abraham-july-15-wembley
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