Emotional Selby dedicates win to late mother

AN emotional Lee Selby dedicated the third successful defence of his IBF world featherweight title to his late mother Frankie just four days after her sudden death.

Selby comfortably beat Jonathan Barros at Wembley Arena on points , with the judges scoring the bout 119108, 117-110 and 117-110 in favour of the Barry boxer.

And, in a poignant post-fight interview, Selby dedicated the victory to his late mum.

“To be honest, it doesn’t seem real,” he told ITV Box Office.

“Because I’ve been away from home, I told my team not to mention anything, to pretend as if nothing has happened.

“I turned my phone off, haven’t spoken to my brother or my father.

“The emotions going through me before the fight, if I’d told anyone I would have been strapped up in a straitjacket, if I’d told people what I was thinking.

“I got the win and I dedicate it to my mother.”

The fight should have taken place six months ago in Las Vegas, but Barros, 33, failed to meet the licensing requirements of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Selby’s dream fight was called off at the 11th hour.

Making his first title defence in 15 months, the Tony Borg-trained St Joseph’s boxer made up for lost time with his footwork and work rate proving too much for Barros.

He bossed the first round and took the second with a powerful left to the body and then a right to the head.

Barros put in a low blow in the third as well as being on the receiving end of a right punch from the champion.

Barros then lost his gum shield early in the fourth, but landed a crisp shot to Selby’s ribs in the fifth.

And it was in the fifth that a clash of heads resulted in a nasty cut above Selby’s right eye, although it didn’t have any lasting damage.

There were complaints from both boxers to referee Steve Gray about use of the head, with Barros’ corner protesting in the seventh.

The highlight of round nine was crisp left jab from Selby and in the next round a hook to the body took further momentum away from the South American.

Selby’s fitness showed in the last and, with just over a minute left, Barros was down on the canvas, the result of a short left hook to the chin.