Jordan Gill highly rates his Mancunian counterpart
Jordan Gill (28-2-1, 9 KOs) is scheduled to face off against Zelfa Barrett (30-2, 16 KOs) on April 13 in the Manchester Arena. The 29-year-old last fought in December, winning a seventh-round stoppage over Michael Conlan in what had been an incredibly close fight up to the final round.
Many are predicting a tough fight for Gill in April and ‘The Thrill’ is not downplaying the challenge that lies ahead of him.
“I think he’s [Barrett] very, very good. I think it’s probably my hardest fight to date,” Gill said, speaking to IFL TV.
“He’s a great fighter, he can do a bit of everything. He’s quite versatile, he can move well. He’s got fast hands, good power. Good counterpuncher, and you know, can sling it out at the best of times as well.
“I’ve got to be very wary. I’ve got to approach the fight in the right way. My tactics have got to be spot on, and I’m really excited for the challenge.”
‘The Thrill’ is currently ranked as the WBA #12. A win would see him move into real title contention. The Englishman has never fought for a major world title, with his last loss coming during a European title defence to Kiko Martinez.
Barrett, on the other hand, has slightly more experience at the world level, losing an IBF title bout to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in 2022.
A win for either man will surely see them grasping at a chance to add a first-ever world title to their resume.
The winner will have to play a waiting game however, as the current WBA champion, Lamont Roach Jr., has been ordered to defend his belt against Ireland’s Jono Carroll. To make matters worse, Otar Eranosyan, the current number-one contender, has been assured a chance to fight the winner of the upcoming title bout.