Jessica Barry is a 28-year-old female professional boxer from Coventry, known as ‘The Banshee’ Jessica has won both of her two pro fights to date. Barry fights in the featherweight and super feather weight divisions and boxes out of Fitzpatrick’s gym in Lemington and is trained by Derek Fitzpatrick. Jessica also trains once a week at Eastside gym Birmingham and also try’s to train at her old amateur gym CTK in Coventry when she gets chance. Jessic had a great amateur career of 18 wins out of 19 fights. The 5-foot 3 orthodox fight only loss as an amateur came in the Elite final to a G.B seeded fighter where she won 2 national development titles and a university championship.
My first question to Barry was, who is your favourite boxer and why? Jessica told me “Katie Taylor purely for the fact she single handily raised the standards for female boxing and allowed us to be where I am today, I also love GGG I love watching his come forward risky fighters too”. I then asked her, what is the best fight you have seen? Jessica said “There’s been a lot of great fights I’ve seen, but I loved watching Terri Harper Vs Natasha Jonas”. I then as her, how long have you been boxing? Barry said “Not too long actually, I started when I was around 21 and never really thought I would get into it like I have. I always trained a little bit as a kid in boxing gyms for fitness and fun as I was quite boisterous growing up”. I then asked her, what inspired you to take up boxing, Jessica told me “I only got into boxing training to get fitter for football. I played at an alright level but once I started to gain a bit of weight from too much partying, I decided I wanted to make a change. I just became so passionate about it so quickly; I love anything that’s hard work and although played football and competed as an amateur for a few years I finally decided to drop the football for boxing as I could see more of a future with it”.
My final question the ‘The Banshee was, what has been your hardest fight? Jessica said “I think a lot of my fights have been pretty hard. My last fight as a pro was tough and my elite championship final was tough but I never look at it like it was tough. The harder it is at the time the more I seem to thrive and enjoy it, the more challenging something is the better!” Jessica finished by saying “I currently work full time as an engineering lecturer but my dream is to finally box full time juggling both can be ridiculously challenging!”
Dexter’s Thought’s
Jessica Barry has had a great amateur career before turning over as a professional boxer. Barry has won both of these fights but has fought in a round exhibition contest on the last Tommy Owens Promotions show in March 2023. It was announced as an exhibition but I was lucky enough to be there and can say if that’s how Barry fights in a move round I feel sorry for her opponents in proper contests. Both fighters showed off there skills but if I hadn’t of known it was a exhibition I would of said it was a cracking fight. Jessica is just starting her professional boxing journey and has hit the ground running with two wins and as just seeing her in an exhibition I look forward to seeing her in her third professional contest soon.
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