Barnes Wins Barnburner Over Vincent To Win British 147-Pound Title

Bouts Will Be Replayed Today On SHOWTIME TOO At 11:30 PM ET/PT And Monday, July 21, On SHOWTIME EXTREME At 8 PM ET/PT

LONDON (July 18, 2003) - In an excellent match from start to finish, undefeated welterweight David Barnes captured the vacant British welterweight title with a disputed 12-round decision over British Masters 154-pound champion Jimmy Vincent Thursday on "ShoBox: The New Generation" on SHOWTIME. In another tight fight in the co-feature, unbeaten Graham Earl snared the British lightweight crown with a narrow 12-round decision over defending champion Bobby Vanzie. The doubleheader at Goresbrook Leisure Centre was promoted by Frank Warren's Sports Network. The telecast, which aired at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed), was the 33rd in a series of "ShoBox" telecasts that began on July 21, 2001.

Barnes (13-0, 7 KOs), of Manchester, England, triumphed by the score of 115-114 on the tally sheet of the bout's lone scorer, referee John Keane. The southpaw trailed after six rounds but rallied in the bout's second half to get the nod. There were no knockdowns. Barnes, who scored a second-round TKO over Trevor Smith in his professional debut on July 7, 2001, knocked out six of his initial seven opponents within three rounds. In his most recent contest on April 5, 2003, Barnes pitched a shutout en route to registering a unanimous eight-round decision victory over Victor Fessetchko in Manchester.

Vincent (21-17-2, 9 KOs), of Barnet, England, was the aggressor and had things very much his way early. Many felt that he had done enough to win. Vincent, who's five-fight winning streak ended, was making his first appearance before a paying audience since scoring an eighth-round TKO over David Walker in a British welterweight elimination bout on Dec. 21, 2002, at Goresbrook Leisure Centre.

Earl (19-0, 10 KOs), of Luton, England, won a match that could have gone either way by the score of 116-114 on referee Paul Thomas' scorecard. Earl had to fight the last one-third of a contest in which neither boxer went down with a cut over his right eye. In his most recent outing, Earl, who is one Britain's rising stars, recorded a lopsided eight-round decision over Nikolai Eremeev on May 24, 2003, in Bethnal Green, England.

Vanzie (24-3-1, 13 KOs), of Bradford, England, spotted Earl several inches in height and reach, but managed to hang in all the way. The southpaw boxer never seemed to be in serious trouble and made many of the rounds close.

"ShoBox: The New Generation" features up-and-coming prospects determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. The best of the new generation of hungry, young boxers will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and heart as they battle each other in competitive fights in front of a national television audience. "ShoBox: The New Generation" is pure, basic boxing, reminiscent of the golden days of the sport.

SHOWTIME televises "ShoBox: The New Generation" at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Thursdays every other week. The telecast will repeat the next day, Friday, on SHOWTIME TOO at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and the following Monday on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Nick Charles called Thursday's action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producers of the telecast were Jay Larkin and Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.

The next "ShoBox" telecast on July 31 will feature undefeated welterweights Ishe Smith and David Estrada in the main event. In the co-feature at Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Koba Gogoladze will take on Miguel Angel Torrecillas in a lightweight bout.

For information on upcoming "ShoBox: The New Generation" and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.