Brian Magee v Jaime Barboza for WBA Interim SMW belt tonight

[gingeralbino]

Anyone know anything about this Barboza guy, seen him fight?

I just took a look at this boxrec there now, he's normally a LMW, but since his debut he's fought between WW and SMW. And last year he won the WBC youth JMW title, at a youthful age of 32.

[gingeralbino]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/14340016.stm

Northern Ireland boxer Brian Magee is preparing for a tough contest against Jaime Barboza when he fights for the WBA Interim super-middleweight title in San Jose, Costa Rica on Saturday night.

Magee has been training in the heat and humidity of Panama City for 10 days.

"Barboza is strong, tough and aggressive and I have to be ready for anything," said Magee.

"This is a big fight for both of us - I have to try to win this title and then move on to bigger and better things."

Barboza, 33, will have home advantage in the fight.

The fight will be Magee's first since losing to IBF super-middleweight champion Lucian Bute in Montreal in March.

The 35-year-old was stopped in the 10th round of the contest for what was his fourth defeat in a 39-bout pro career.

Barboza has won 17 fights and suffered four defeats in his 21-bout professional career.

The Costa Rican has mainly fought at light-middleweight and stopped Mexican Ulises Duarte in two rounds in his last bout in late March.

Prior to that, he was stopped in eight rounds by another Mexican Jose Pinzon last October.

Earlier last year, Barboza had stopped Pinzon in seven rounds in Mexico.

However, Barboza has not fought outside Central America or Mexico and Magee clearly fancies his chances of taking the interim belt, even the Costa Rican will have home advantage.