Son is rising in Barry business
Friendly fire is just part of the family profession, writes Chris Barclay.
Kevin Barry inhales and and shrugs off the severity of a Joseph Parker body shot that missed the protective padding around his midriff when he was training New Zealand’s heavyweight contender for American southpaw Jason Bergman.
The blow, landed in January, still troubles him, not that it has prevented him getting back into the ring with Parker as they prepare for a bout in Christchurch on Thursday to keep the 24-year-old active before he fights England’s Anthony Joshua for the IBF belt, perhaps as early as November in London.
It’s not the first time Barry has suffered as he maintains a handson approach to training – his right shoulder needed reconstructing after hours of holding the pads for David Tua as he perfected throwing and landing an overhand right.
Tua’s famed left hook also required Barry to have four surgical procedures on his left hand.
Before he linked with Parker in 2013, the 56-year-old also had his left shoulder and rotator cuff repaired; he’s recently had surgery on hernias – the legacy of absorbing repeated blows to the abdomen.
Ironically, the only boxingrelated injuries Barry has suffered occurred after 16-year amateur career culminated with a light heavyweight silver medal at the Los Angeles in 1984.
‘‘There’s something floating around in there …..cartilage probably,’’ he said, more concerned about Parker’s persistent elbow problems.
Still, Barry had a scan on his ribs before Parker completed his preparations in Las Vegas for his 20th pro fight, against Solomon Haumono, the former league player ranked 11th on the WBA rankings.
And unsurprisingly, the MRI detected: ‘‘Just a few fragments floating around in there, so it’s OK.’’
‘‘Friendly fire’’ is an acceptable occupational hazard for Barry, who estimates he has another decade as an active trainer: retirement, you’d imagine, would never be official – though taking a back seat in the corner will be easier to accept now his son Taylor is a willing successor.
‘‘Taylor’s a big part of what we’re doing, one of the most pleasing things for me is to have my son with me,’’ he said.
In a way it was inevitable Taylor would be drawn to boxing, as a five-year-old he’d step into David Tua’s belts, pull them up like a skirt and run around with his tiny fists clenched, pretending to spar.
Taylor, who relished the physicality of American Football once the family relocated to Henderson, Nevada, in 2004, took a break from the sport during high school, though only for a fortnight.
‘‘I did some training with Dad and I really liked it, but being young and say ‘come …’’
In the resulting tug of war, the Henderson Spartans and Green Valley High School won by split decision.
Now 21, Taylor showed promise as a tight end on the Spartans’ offensive line – his twin Mitchell is on a football scholarship at San Diego State University – but when there were no offers from colleges having all your friends back to football’, well in Nevada, after graduation from high school he started working at the MGM Grand, a focal point of boxing in Las Vegas.
But after four months of unsociable night shifts he saw the light – joining the family business when Dad started training Parker in 2013.
Parker and straight away.
For Taylor, Parker is brother while his twin Taylor hit it off a virtual Mitchell completes a two-year Mormon mission; New Zealand’s leading boxer has company in his own age range in his home away from home.
‘‘I’ve had fighters live with us my whole life so I’m used to it. But I’m a bit older now, and a kid around my age moving in with us …. after the first six week camp we became best friends,’’ said Taylor.
Of course it is also a working relationship – Barry is in the corner during fights, holds the mitts during training, books sparring partners, scouts opponents on tape and designs the corner gear for each bout.
‘‘I’ve been learning the trade. Every camp I get more responsibilities, hopefully one day I can make a career out of it).’’
He also handles Parker’s social media accounts - a vital promotional tool, and one where where Barry rarely has to deflect the harmful blows.
‘‘Joe’s got a thick skin, he’ll read it and laugh. It’s a part of life, everyone’s going to get it. They’re just jealous, that’s the way I look at it,’’ said Barry, who also remained calm - until fight night ramps up the tension.
‘‘I get more nervous than Joe. You don’t want to see your brother get hurt. You can’t show that you’re nervous, then the fighter might think he’s in trouble.’’
Yet he’s in for the long haul as Parker waits to challenge for Joshua’s belt.
‘‘Sometimes I joke around and say ‘When are you going to give the boys to me?’,’’ said Barry, who accepts Dad will never really throw in the towel.
‘‘I don’t know how he does it. These boys will hit him, and it’s hard. Sometimes you’ll look at it and go ‘it’s not that bad’ but when you have the experience of taking it, it really hurts.
‘‘The goal is for me to one day take over, though I know he’ll always be involved.’’