Royston Barney-Smith: Thriving Under the Guidance of Boxing’s Elite
Royston Barney-Smith, the 20-year-old super featherweight prospect, attributes his rapid progress solely to the invaluable lessons he observes daily at the bustling Ben Davison Performance Centre. The young southpaw speaks glowingly about the unwavering dedication and professionalism exhibited by former featherweight world champion Leigh Wood and two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, among others.
“Our gym is a very big ocean with a lot of big fish in it. That’s what brings you on,” Barney-Smith told BoxingScene. “You want to punch a bit faster on the bag and you want to look a bit better when you’re shadow boxing. Just being in their company and listening to how they go about things or talking about fights with other people. You can get where they’re coming from and you can learn something from that.”
For an ambitious young boxer, walking into a professional gym for the first time can be a dream come true, but the harsh realities of the sport soon become apparent. Slowly, however, the once-impossible feats become the norm, and the grueling routine becomes second nature.
Barney-Smith, who boasts a 9-0 (5 KOs) record, has witnessed firsthand the progress of his gym mates, including the rising star Campbell Hatton and the seasoned champion Anthony Joshua. Seeing these accomplished fighters go through the same early steps and improvements he once did serves as a tangible reminder of how far he has come.
“It was all new to me when I went there at 17. They had Josh Taylor who was a unified world champion. Leigh Wood was there. Lee McGregor. Shabaz Masoud. There was a big squad of good fighters and I was the young pup. Now, I’m cementing my name in the gym and showing everyone what I’m capable of doing,” he said.
Barney-Smith’s journey has not been without its challenges, but under the guidance of trainers Ben Davison and Lee Wiley, he has successfully transitioned from a talented amateur to an exciting professional prospect. The southpaw is now honing his skills to recognize subtle changes in his opponents and create the right opportunities to secure decisive victories.
Barney-Smith returns to the ring on Saturday, facing the aggressive Brazilian Jonatas de Oliveira, 6-8 (5 KOs), as he continues his pursuit of boxing greatness, inspired by the examples set by his elite gym mates.
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