JORDAN GILL VS. ZELFA BARRETT PRESS CONFERENCE & WEIGH-IN VIDEO
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GILL: I JUST LIKE UPSETTING PEOPLE
‘The Thrill’ thriving off underdog tag ahead of Barrett away day
Jordan Gill is aiming to make it two big away day wins in a row when he takes on Manchester’s former World Title challenger Zelfa Barrett in a must-win Super-Featherweight showdown at the famous AO Arena this Saturday April 13, live worldwide on DAZN.
Chatteris’ Gill, a former European and Commonwealth Champion at Featherweight, stunned Irish hero Michael Conlan with a seventh-round stoppage win on away territory at the SSE Arena Belfast in December and immediately called for a World Title shot in his post-fight interview.
‘The Thrill’ had been written off by many ahead of his last chance saloon clash with Conlan, but the 29-year-old, who is trained by Barry Smith out of the Ben Davison Performance Centre in Harlow, produced the performance of his career to catapult his name into the World Title conversation in the 130 pounds division.
“Heading into the Conlan fight in December it was just laughable because everyone tipped him,” said Gill. “I knew how good I am. I knew what I’m capable of. I knew that I had to upset people. I knew I had to have something to prove. I proved people wrong and it was more pleasurable for me to do that.
“I knew the fight was mine from the first round. I rocked him heavy in the first round, dropped him in the second. From that point you know you have to be patient. Once you hurt someone once you know you’re going to do it again. It’s more about taking your time, tucking up a little bit, letting them burn themselves out and then going to town. That was the plan; it worked a treat.”
Gill came face-to-face with former European Super-Featherweight Champion Barrett earlier today at Manchester Hall as the pair kicked off fight week proceedings ahead of Saturday’s stacked card that features two World Title fights in Ellie Scotney vs. Segolene Lefebvre and Rhiannon Dixon vs. Karen Elizabeth Carabjal.
‘Brown Flash’ has further World Title aspirations of his own having come up short against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for the IBF title in Abu Dhabi back in November 2022, but Gill insists that his time is now and another big win this weekend will put him at the front of the line for a shot at gold.
“I feel the best that I’ve ever felt,” said Gill. “I feel so strong. I feel rejuvenated. I’m not killing myself to make weight. I feel happy. I feel prepared; well prepared. I’m looking forward to a fantastic fight. I think it’s going to be mouth-watering; it’s one that everyone is talking about. I’m just dead excited. This is the chapter now where we’re going to make it all count.
“He looks well prepared. He looks ready. He looks like he’s got the bit between his teeth. He looks like he wants to hurt me. We’ve got to go in and do our job. I think there’s no way that this fight isn’t an exciting fight. I think I win this fight by knockout. This is what I’ve worked for; this is what I’ve dreamed of since I’ve been a kid.
“I just like upsetting people and I think I get a kick out of people telling me that I can’t win fights. Everyone expected me to lose the Conlan fight, and going in there and pulling it off – for me that’s exciting and that’s what boxing is all about. It’s all about the good fights and this is a really good fight. I’m ready to go to the well.
“For me, all of the pressure is on Zelfa. Everyone is expecting me to lose this fight. I’m coming to the lion’s den again. Everyone is making me the underdog again. No problem, just put all of that pressure on him and we’ll turn up, do what we need to do and come away victorious.
“To be the best you have to beat the best. So, to have a claim to a World Title you have to go through these fights. Zelfa is a very good fighter, he wants a World Title shot and he’s probably at the front of the queue, so I have to beat him to leapfrog him. That’s why we’re here.”
BARRETT – I ALWAYS KNEW I’D TOP MANCHESTER ARENA ONE DAY
‘Brown Flash’ headlines famous fight arena against Gill
Zelfa Barrett becomes the latest fighter from Manchester to headline the famous AO Arena this Saturday April 13 when he takes on a resurgent Jordan Gill in a must-win Super-Featherweight clash, shown live worldwide on DAZN.
‘Brown Flash’, nephew of former British and European Champion Pat ‘Black Flash’ Barrett, follows in the footsteps of the likes of Ricky Hatton, Anthony Crolla and Michael Gomez when he climbs into the ropes to main event at the world-renowned arena that has hosted some of the biggest names in boxing.
Chatteris’ Gill, a former European and Commonwealth Champion at Featherweight, stunned Irish hero Michael Conlan with a seventh-round stoppage win on away territory at the SSE Arena Belfast last December and immediately called for a World Title shot in his post-fight interview.
Standing in ‘The Thrill’s’ way of a dream World Title shot is former World Title challenger Barrett, and the 30-year-old has further World Title aspirations of his own having come up short against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for the IBF title in Abu Dhabi.
“Being from Manchester and topping the AO Arena, or the MEN Arena as a lot of people will always call it, is a massive achievement,” said Barrett. “I always knew at one point in my life I’d top it. Watching Hatton there, Crolla, Quigg – that motivates me. That makes me want to eat good and train hard. It makes me work harder in the gym because it’s my moment, it’s my time. People are spending their hard-earned money coming to see me. I’m not going to disappoint them.
“I’ve always wanted to headline the arena, watching and being in the changing rooms with Anthony Crolla and Scott Quigg, I’d always thought one day I’ll be there winning a World Title. This fight is like a World Title because I know how good Jordan Gill is. He’s well-schooled, got a good team around him, so it’s given me the grit in my teeth to perform.
“We’re similar in styles and that’s why I wanted to spar him back in the day because we’re similar, it’s funny how the tables turn and we’re now fighting each other. It’s an exciting fight and all of my people will be there. We’ve prepared for the best version of Jordan, so that’s going to bring the best version of me out. We know we’ve got a fighter who’s got a good trainer, got a good team around him, so my mind is on the job.”
From the working class estates to the bustling gyms dotted all over the city, Manchester has birthed a lineage of fighters who embody the city’s spirit of resilience, determination, and triumph over adversity. Barrett says growing up on the notorious Harpurhey inner-city suburb helped shape him into the man and fighter that he is today.
“Not many people from my area reach the heights that I’m reaching,” said Barrett. “A lot of people my age are in jail or have died. We’ve all done the same stuff as estate kids, been through the same things as estate kids. That’s why people respect me, because I’m from the same place they’re from. I’ve done the same things they’ve done. I had a great family to support me. Look at me now, topping the AO Arena. It’s a big thing for me, for my family and for Manchester.
“We just did what estate kids done – we made fun out of nothing. We were all like a little family. There’s memories there. Good memories, bad memories, crazy memories, life threatening memories. What’s life without memories? To break that mould and to become somebody. To prove to people and to show people around and people younger than me that if you sacrifice and dedicate yourself to anything that you want to do or overcome in life you can.
“The things that are happening to me in my life, it’s like I’ve lived two lives. Obviously I lost my Mum, I lost my brother – that would turn a lot of people insane. I just use that pain in my life and put it into boxing. I use it to motivate me to become a better person; to become a somebody. My mum would have been proud of me, and she is now. She’s my best friend. Not just my mum, literally my best friend.
“Manchester has been screaming for a fighter and I’m top of the tree. If I can get a win over Jordan, the world is mine. Respect goes out of the window on fight night; its dog eat dog. I just believe I’m a better fighter than Jordan – he hits hard, but I hit harder. He’s fast, but I’m faster. There’s no way I’m going to lose this fight.”
Gill vs. Barrett tops a huge night of boxing in Manchester, Catford’s Ellie Scotney (8-0) aims to unify the Super-Bantamweight division when she puts her IBF World Title on the line against France’s WBO World Champion Segolene Lefebvre (18-0, 1 KO), Warrington’s Rhiannon Dixon (9-0, 1 KO) looks to win her first World Title when she takes on Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal (21-1, 3 KOs) for the vacant WBO 140lbs crown, Manchester’s Michael Gomez Jr (20-1, 5 KOs) defends his English Super-Featherweight Title against Birmingham’s Kane Baker (19-10-2, 1 KO), Liverpool Middleweight prospect Ste Clarke (1-0, 1 KO) meets Swindon’s Jensen Irving (4-9) over four rounds, Oxford Lightweight Jordan Flynn (9-0-1, 1 KO) fights Tanzania’s Tampela Maharusi (10-4-4, 5 KOs) over 8 rounds, Liverpool Super-Flyweight Jack Turner (5-0, 5 KOs) goes for another knockout against Abdul Kesi Ngaoma (7-5-1, 6 KOs), Brentwood Middleweight Jimmy Sains (3-0, 3 KOs) has his fourth pro fight against Mateusz Kalecki (2-1, 1 KO), Manchester Super-Welterweight William Crolla (3-0, 2 KOs) faces Italy’s Fabio Cascone (4-9, 1 KO) over six rounds and Swansea Super-Bantamweight Brandon Scott (6-0, 1 KO) returns for his first fight since last August when he takes on Rodrigo Matias Areco (5-5-2) over six rounds.
SCOTNEY – NAN ALWAYS TOLD ME I’VE GOT TO FINISH THE COLLECTION
IBF Super-Bantamweight champion spurred on by memory of late nan ahead of Lefebvre unification clash
IBF World Champion Ellie Scotney says her nan will have the best seat in the house when she aims to unify the Super-Bantamweight division against France’s undefeated WBO ruler Segolene Lefebvre at the AO Arena in Manchester this Saturday – live worldwide on DAZN.
The 26-year-old Catford native, who fights in Manchester for the first time this weekend, won the IBF crown against Australia’s Cherneka Johnson on a memorable night at Wembley Arena last June and proudly raced it around to her super-fan nan.
Sadly Eileen passed away at the age off 99 at the end of August, but she witnessed her granddaughter achieve her lifetime goal of becoming a World Champion after walking into the renewed Lynn AC in South London as a small girl. Scotney says her nan will be at the front of her mind as she looks to add to her legacy by becoming a unified World Champion on Saturday’s World Title doubleheader.
“I always had this thing where I’d go down to my nan’s the week before a fight and I still did that for this one,” said Scotney. “I still went down to my nan’s; I still went in the room, and I chatted rubbish to her like I usually do. She always used to tell me that she’d say a prayer for me. I know that she’s got the best seat in the house as always. Nan always told me you’ve got to finish the collection, and we’re onto the second part of that collection and I’ve got to deliver.”
Lefebvre (18-0, 1 KO) will be making the fourth defence of her WBO crown after winning the vacant title against Mexico’s Paulette Cuesta in November 2021 on home soil. ‘Majestic’ will be fighting outside of her homeland for the first time in her career and Scotney acknowledges her 30-year-old opponent will be her toughest test to date.
“Even before the Cherneka Johnson fight, Lefebvre was someone that we targeted,” said Scotney. “We tried to make the fight previously but it just didn’t align. Now I’ve got more to offer on the table and we’re both young, we’re both undefeated and we’re both World Champions. I believe that’s going to make for a great fight.
“I promise you now, whatever I’ve got to go through I’ll go through on that night. I’ll be walking out as unified Champion of the World. I just believe that these are the fights where you’ve got to show that you’re different. She’s 18-0 and I’m 8-0. You’d look at that and think that she’s got the more experience. I just think that it’s quantity versus quality in some respects.
“It’s my hardest fight without a doubt but believe me I’m more than ready to show that I’m there. I really am. I believe that this camp has showed me there’s more to me that I haven’t really even seen myself. I’m not just talking about in that boxing ring – I’m talking out of it. I feel like I’ve really grown as a person. I think it’s happening at the right time for me. Timing is everything and on Saturday night it will be my time.”
Scotney vs. Lefebrve is part of a huge night of boxing in Manchester, Jordan Gill (28-2-1, 9 KOs) and Zelfa Barrett (30-2, 16 KOs) clash in a must-win Super-Featherweight showdown at the top of the bill, Warrington’s Rhiannon Dixon (9-0, 1 KO) looks to win her first World Title when she takes on Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal (21-1, 3 KOs) for the vacant WBO 140lbs crown, Manchester’s Michael Gomez Jr (20-1, 5 KOs) defends his English Super-Featherweight Title against Birmingham’s Kane Baker (19-10-2, 1 KO), Liverpool Middleweight prospect Ste Clarke (1-0, 1 KO) meets Swindon’s Jensen Irving (4-9) over four rounds, Oxford Lightweight Jordan Flynn (9-0-1, 1 KO) fights Tanzania’s Tampela Maharusi (10-4-4, 5 KOs) over 8 rounds, Liverpool Super-Flyweight Jack Turner (5-0, 5 KOs) goes for another knockout against Abdul Kesi Ngaoma (7-5-1, 6 KOs), Brentwood Middleweight Jimmy Sains (3-0, 3 KOs) has his fourth pro fight against Mateusz Kalecki (2-1, 1 KO), Manchester Super-Welterweight William Crolla (3-0, 2 KOs) faces Italy’s Fabio Cascone (4-9, 1 KO) over six rounds and Swansea Super-Bantamweight Brandon Scott (6-0, 1 KO) returns for his first fight since last August when he takes on Rodrigo Matias Areco (5-5-2) over six rounds.