THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9504280225
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 32 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
BERNICE BARBER MADE sure his opponent lived up to his nickname.
Known as ``The Humble One,'' Michigan fighter Patrick Byrd was completely humbled by Barber in a recent Universal Boxing Association junior middleweight Pan American title fight in Flint, Mich.
Humbled by a flurry of ninth-round punches that left Barber as the new champ and Byrd wondering just what had run over him.
Barber, the North Carolina transplant who now calls Virginia Beach home, had been losing the battles and the war, but somehow managed to change the tide in the ninth.
``They were telling me in my corner that I had to knock him out to win,'' Barber, 24, said.
Barber caught Byrd with a couple of good shots that put the champion down early in the ninth.
``Felt like the gates of heaven opened up,'' said Barber. ``I wasn't doing too good at that point.''
After the eight count, Barber charged at Byrd and connected with a couple of rights that prompted another eight count.
``He wasn't fighting back at that point,'' Barber said. ``I really felt like I had him then.''
The referee let the fight continue and Barber again charged at his opponent in an attempt to waste as little time as possible. He caught Byrd with six straight punches to the head before the official stopped the fight.
``I full-sprinted at him because I knew he was gone,'' Barber said. ``When I was beating on him, I could hear my corner shouting at the ref to stop the fight. I was surprised they let it go on so long.''
A reason might have been that Byrd was fighting in his own backyard and wasn't supposed to loose to what his trainers considered a no-namer from Virginia Beach. Byrd, the son of 1992 Olympic coach Joe Byrd, was second in the 1991 U.S. championships and won a gold medal in the 1990 Olympic Festival. After a 301-37 amateur career, Byrd was 6-0 with five knockouts as a pro.
Barber, on the other hand, has no amateur experience and was 6-2-1 going into the fight.
``He just needs more ring experience,'' trainer Tony Ornelas said. ``He's got power and good combinations, though. He works hard, now he just needs to work on fighting smarter.
``But he wasn't supposed to win this fight anyway and he went in there and shocked those people. He was losing on all cards when he caught the guy with some good stuff.''
Barber, a polite and well-spoken light middleweight, now sees boxing as an open door of possibilities.
A kickboxer by trade, the Karate International ``basic boxing'' instructor and brick mason wants a shot at a big-name title.
``This trip was real fun for me because it was my first out-of-towner,'' he said. ``But I was real nervous and had trouble with weight. I had to loose four pounds in the sauna before the weigh-in. So I didn't expect to do too much. Things were kind of against me. To win was the ultimate experience. I've never felt any feeling like it.
``But now, I think I can really go somewhere in boxing. This was great for my confidence.''
Promoter Jack Crider is looking at a possible fight with Roger Mayweather.
``He's on his way down and I'm on my way up,'' Barber said. ``It would be perfect. I'm hungrier than ever for a big title fight.''
Barber played football at Fuquay-Varina High in North Carolina and Elon College. He also worked with karate as a hobby and now holds a black belt.
He moved to Virginia Beach to manage a restaurant and took up kickboxing at Karate International under the watchful eye of four-time International Sport Karate Association world champion Curtis Bush.
In fact, Barber will fight July 15 for the Fight Factory Kickboxing Association's U.S. welterweight title. As an amateur kickboxer, he was 7-1-1 and was the Virginia state champ. He is 1-0 as a pro.
``I took up boxing because I couldn't get any kickboxing fights,'' Barber said. ``Kickboxing is where my heart is, but we all know where the money is. I'd really love a world title belt in kickboxing.''
Two Karate International-trained boxers recently won state Golden Gloves titles in Alexandria.
Andre Carter took the lightweight belt, while Shawn Gregory won at junior middleweight. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Boxer Bernice Barber humbled Michigan fighter Patrick Byrd in a
recent Universal Boxing Association junior middleweight Pan American
title fight.
by CNB