The 22-year-old "Sugar Boy Roy" faces the evergreen Reece Bellotti, who is 13 years his senior, at 3Arena on the Queensberry show headlined by Pierce O’Leary against Mark Chamberlain.

Barney-Smith (16-0, 8 KOs) is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects in the country and claimed the British and Commonwealth junior lightweight titles in his last outing by flattening Conor McIntosh in two.

But, he was once a wide-eyed kid doing his best to absorb everything he saw in the gym, which included a visit to train alongside a promising 25-year-old pro called Reece Bellotti.

“I have a very good friend Jake Ball,” Barney-Smith says in reference to retired Surrey light heavyweight “The Blade.”

“When I was 12 years old I went and did a session with him and his coach Jim McDonnell but also in the gym with them at that time was Reece Bellotti.

“Him and Jake turned over with Matchroom at the same time and were both trained by Jim. I remember going down to the gym with Jake and watching Reece on the bag and stuff.

“I had started boxing when I was about eight so I was just a kid but Jake took me up there for the day just to have a look at what it was like. We all did a bag circuit together, so I was sort of training with Reece, and I thought that was pretty cool.

“I don’t know if he will remember that, or even realise it was me, but I definitely remember it.”

The anecdote lays bare the difference in experience between the pair ahead of their clash. Barney-Smith was just 11 years old when Bellotti made his pro debut in May 2015 and he has since amassed a 20-7 record over the course of a career which has gleaned the British title at 130 pounds and the Commonwealth title at two weights.

However, the 35-year-old heads into the fight off the back of two defeats, to Ryan Garner and Josh Padley, during a three-month spell in 2025. He has been priced as a 4/1 (+400) underdog by most bookmakers with Barney-Smith widely expected to see off the most experienced opponent of his career in emphatic fashion.

The fight also offers Barney-Smith the chance to outdo his Southampton rival Garner, who only managed to stop Bellotti in the final round of their July 2026 clash. Garner holds the WBC interim title at the weight and, like Barney-Smith, is promoted by Queensberry. The pair therefore appear to be on a collision course.

“That’s another big fight for me,” Barney-Smith says. “That's huge down the line.

“Me and him could definitely sell out St. Mary's football stadium pretty easily really. We've both got a decent fan base down there, so we'll be able to pack it out.

“I’ve known Ryan for a long time. I was probably about 10 the first time I did a boxing session with him and his coach Wayne [Batten]. So I could go from fighting Bellotti who I trained with when I was 12 to Garner who I have known even longer.

“Who knows, maybe we could fight in the stadium next summer. But it’s all well and good speaking about it now but I have to take care of Reece first then I’m game for whatever.”