Danny tunes-up for a summer super-fight

Danny Quartermaine….faces red-hot prospect Royston Barney-Smith

LEAMINGTON’S Danny Quartermaine has cleared the final hurdle blocking his path to a summer super-fight.

On Saturday, the all-action super-feather comprehensively outpointed tough Honduran Jayro Duran over six rounds.

For Danny, unbeaten in 14, it was very much an exercise in keeping his tools sharp before the big one.

On July 26, the 27-year-old will put his European titles on the line against Southampton southpaw Royston Barney-Smith, a young man unbeaten in 14, with half of those wins coming by stoppage. The show, at Bournemouth International Centre, is staged by Frank Warren’s Queensberry promotional outfit and streamed on DAZN.

That bright lights extravaganza was a far cry from the setting for Quartermaine’s fight on Saturday, won on a 60-54 landslide.

In the intimate setting of Birmingham Airport’s Holiday Inn, he shed ring rust gathered during a six months ring absence by working his combinations on Duran – a 33-year-old familiar to Midlands fans.

He was outpointed by Black Country debutant Callum Seedhouse last time out and smashed in a round by Nyall Berry last September.

He was never going to trouble Quartermaine, a product of Edwin Cleary’s thriving spa town gym. But there are always risks and with Danny, a champ who has suffered his share of cuts, the risk was an old wound would be opened.

With that in mind, Quartermaine toned down his rampaging style a little, although Duran took plenty of left hooks to the body.

Danny achieved what he set out to do – bank rounds and work on moves.

Now for a truly mouthwatering, five star contest against a 21-year-old being groomed for big things.

Both men may have notched-up the same number of fights, but Cleary and Quartermaine will feel they have the edge in title night experience. Barney-Smith is the text-book boxer, Quartermaine the marauding force of nature.

Danny told Queensberry: “Royston came and approached me about the fight in a very respectful manner. With the way he did it I thought why not give him that opportunity? Boxing is about opportunities and I am more than willing to put my belts on the line and fight a good level of opponent.

“People have seen me in the past coming forward, being aggressive and putting it on my opponent. In the last couple of fights I think you have actually seen me box as well.

“I’ve got a jab in my repertoire and I do use it when I can. I think the mix of styles could be very interesting or it could be boring. I don’t think it will be one of those fights between me and Royston, I think it will gain the crowd’s attention and there is a lot to fight for.”

Barney-Smith said: “I have been trying to get one of these fights for a long time now and, thankfully, Danny has allowed me to fight for his two belts and they do look very nice over there. “I am coming for them. He is a champion, he is going to come and defend his belts, so I will rise to the occasion and do the job.

“He is an aggressive fighter and he does a good job at it, a great job. I am looking forward to exploit him in ways I know I can and I know I will.”