Zelfa Barrett has officially announced that he has parted ways with his uncle and trainer, Pat, and joined 2015 Ring Magazine trainer of the year, Joe Gallagher, at Champs Camp in Moss Side, Manchester.

Two weeks after suffering a wide, disappointing defeat to Liverpool’s former IBO featherweight champion, James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, Barrett, 31-3 (17 KOs), has decided to make the move across Manchester.

Barrett posted the following on his instagram profile;

“New Chapter..I am delighted to announce that I will be training with @gallaghersboxinggym down at champs camp but a big thank you to my uncle/trainer @blackflashpromotions for everything he’s done and taught me through my whole boxing career. Now I can have an uncle instead of a trainer but yeh new beginnings. LETS GOOOOO”

As Barrett’s post suggests, the decision won’t have come easily for the 31 year-old. Former European junior welterweight champion, Pat, plays a major role in Barrett’s life outside the ropes and has been in his corner since the very start of his professional career.

As an amateur, Barrett represented the famous Collyhurst and Moston that his uncle fought out of and when he decided to turn over, Pat began Black Flash Promotions with the intention of providing fighters like his nephew with experience and opportunities.

Barrett made his debut on the very first Black Flash show back in 2014 and the two have enjoyed plenty of success. Together, they won English, Commonwealth and European titles at 130lbs and came up short in a spirited, short notice challenge for Shavkat Rakhimov’s IBF title back in 2022.

Last April, Barrett stopped Jordan Gill in the tenth round of a supposed world title eliminator but found it impossible to capitalise on the win and spent ten months on the sidelines before the the loss to Dickens. The defeat dealt a major blow to Barrett’s hopes of a second world title challenge and he has decided to make the difficult split ahead of another push towards world honours.

Gallagher recently announced the heartbreaking news that he has been diagnosed with stage four cancer of the bowel and liver but has spent time developing loyal help in Marcus Morrison and Macaulay McGowan whilst Barrett’s old gym mate and former WBA featherweight world champion, Scott Quigg, is also a regular presence in the busy gym which is home to WBC/IBF/IBO welterweight champion, Natasha Jonas, English super featherweight champion, Josh Holmes, former two-weight world champion, Lawrence Okolie and former world cruiserweight title challenger, Jack Massey, amongst others.