By Ben Jacobs
Written off by some after dropping a decision to Andre Ward earlier this year, Sullivan Barrera made sure he ended 2016 on a high note.
Apart from claiming the WBC USNBC title at 175lbs, the 34-year-old also upset the applecart dropping his Ukrainian rival Vyacheslav Shabranskyy three times along the way to a seventh round stoppage win last Friday in Indio, California.
“I’m very happy because a lot of people underestimated me and I showed all those people that I’m a good boxer,” beamed Barrera, speaking to BoxingScene.com. “I’m very happy with this win as it opens a lot of doors for me.”
Barrera recently relocated to South Florida for his training camp where he hooked up with Derik Santos at the Boca Pal Gym. The Cuban explained that Santos has given a new edge to his training and as a consequence his performance in the ring has improved.
“Derek and I make a perfect combination, we have a good relationship and good communication - that is very important for a boxer and trainer. I’m happy to be training with him now. I live here in Florida with my girlfriend and it’s close to home (Cuba). I train hard and I’m comfortable here. Also the weather is the same as home.”
In the days subsequent to his victory, Barrera engaged in some back and forth Twitter banter with fellow light heavyweight contender Jean Pascal.
Nevertheless, Barrera insisted he is targeting any of the big names in the division.
“Before the Shabranskyy fight, Pascal was saying that he wanted to fight me, I don’t know what happened but the fight never got signed.
“I want to fight with the best of the division; among those I would like to fight is Nathan Cleverly. I know he’s very well followed in the UK and it would be a perfect fight over there.
“Adonis Stevenson is a great fighter, he’s the champion, but he’s very comfortable in Canada,” he continued.
“He doesn’t leave Canada and he has a lot in his favour there. When I mention the best I’m talking about Stevenson, Ward, Kovalev, the ones who are at the top of the division. I think Stevenson’s style and mine would fit well because we’re both punchers, so I think it would be interesting.”
As far as Kovalev is concerned, Sullivan is of the opinion that the Russian, who used to work with Derik Santos when Santos was assistant to John David Jackson, was the rightful winner of last month’s super fight with Andre Ward.
“Honestly, in my humble opinion I saw Kovalev as the winner, he won more rounds,” he opined.
“I know that Kovalev dropped a bit in the later rounds, he looked a bit tired but he won seven or eight rounds. I saw him as the winner.
“I think Ward’s talk of retiring is a strategy. Sometimes they “retire”, spend a year out of the ring and then come back. I don’t think he’s avoiding Kovalev but it looks like some kind of strategy.”
Barrera himself would like to redeem himself and wants a second crack at the current unified WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion.
“I want the Ward rematch,” he affirmed. “We study fighters well in our new team and in a rematch the fans will see another version of me. I know what a quality fighter Ward is but with Derik in my corner I will be different.
“He’s a dirty fighter but with the experience I have of being in with him it can be different. And if he fights dirty I will as well. I lost to Ward but it wasn’t as if I lost to any old fighter, it was against one of the best. With the Shabranskyy win I reaffirmed that I’m a top fighter. A lot of people were disappointed with my performance against Ward and said that I’m not a top fighter, but I said to myself after that I would prove them wrong.”
