SILKY super-featherweight slickster Royston Barney-Smith looks to accelerate his progression as he gears up for a sizable test against Danny Quartermaine.
The pair will collide in a bold, but perhaps also calculated, piece of matchmaking on the undercard of Ryan Garner vs Reece Bellotti.
And despite still being at the early stages of his development, Barney-Smith, 14-0 (7 KOs), nonetheless refuses to ignore the mouth-watering main event taking place on July 26.
In fact, whoever emerges with the British, Commonwealth and European titles at 130lbs will swiftly find themselves occupying the top of his hit list.
But of course, Barney-Smith must first take care of business – on the same Queensberry Promotions card at the Bournemouth International Centre, England – against Quartermaine, 12-0-1 (4 KOs).
After putting on a series of scintillating displays at a much lower level, the 21-year-old will now enter his first 10-round contest, taking on a fully-fledged super-featherweight operator.
And yet, while Quartermaine represents his toughest assignment thus far, Barney-Smith only sees himself reigning supreme over the domestic scene before long.
“This is just where I’m at now – it’s my level – and I’m looking to blow past [Quartermaine],” he told Boxing News. “I’m not beyond this level at the moment, but my skill is on another level.
“I’m expecting a good fight, where it’s not going to be my way at certain points. But I’m going to try my best to get him out of there.
“I’m not looking past Danny Quartermaine, but it would be a great opportunity if I do fight either Ryan Garner or Reece Bellotti.
“By the end of this year, I’d like to fight for the British, Commonwealth and European titles. That’s my goal, and I’m looking to succeed.”
Should his plan materialise, Barney-Smith may secure one more outing – following his next fight – before challenging for the three titles later this year.
But regardless of whether Garner, 17-0 (8 KOs), or Bellotti, 20-5 (15 KOs) – or in fact another fighter, if the belts become vacant – offers him the opportunity, ‘Sugar Boy Roy’ is likely to be faced with a monumental step-up in levels.
In any case, though, Barney-Smith looks forward to producing a dazzling performance in front of his South Coast fans next month.
He was, after all, supposed to feature on the last Bournemouth card in March, only for an eardrum injury – sustained following a head clash in sparring – to rule him out of the contest.
“The doctor recommended that I shouldn’t fight, as it wouldn’t have been the greatest of injuries [a perforated eardrum] to get,” Barney-Smith recalled.
“It deals with your balance and everything, so you don’t want to start throwing punches and end up falling upside-down.
“I was a bit gutted [not to fight in Bournemouth] because I’d sold a lot of tickets, but my fan stayed on and went down there anyway.
“Now, Frank Warren has given me a great opportunity [against Quartermaine].”
