[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/03/67

Brighton, England
Dave Barnes – HW (1-1-0) vs Des Cox – HW (0-0-0)

Des Cox - UK Rating 1
Heavyweight 1967-68

9 wins / 1 loss / 0 draw / 4 KO

Hometown/Birthplace: Shoreditch, England

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Cox started out his career on Jan. 3rd 1967 vs Dave Barnes who was fighting what turned out to be his 3rd and final fight. Cox won by TKO in the 2nd to start a streak of 9 straight wins to start his career. By Sept 1968 he was 9-0-0 with 4KO's when he entered the ring against Roger Tighe who was 14-2-2 at the first. The first opponent for Cox with some real challenge to him. Cox ended up no challenge for Tighe as Tighe won by 8th round decision. That was it then for Cox with his career at an end.


Dave Barnes - UK Rating 1
Heavyweight 1966-67

1 win / 2 losses / 0 draw / 1 Ko

Hometown: Leicester, England
Birthplace: Jamaica

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Won his first , a 2nd round KO of Ken Lewis on Sept 21st, 1966. 7 days later he fought a George Dulaire and was KO'd by Dulaire in the 3rd. Then on Jan. 3rd 1967 he fought Des Cox and the fight was stopped in the 2nd round with Barnes handed the TKO loss and he steps into boxing oblivion.


And the fight.....

A couple of Englishmen tangle in the ring. One fighter starting out his career, the other, it would turn out finishing a very brief one. The first round shows quickly that Barnes is probably not going to be any kind of a match for the newcomer Cox. Cox lands punches, mainly hook shots while Barnes is unable to do anything in the first of a scheduled 6 rounder. A ½ minute into the 2nd round, Cox just misses with a big wild swing as Barnes backpedals as the right time. Then suddenly Cox catches Barnes with a hard shot to the body and Barnes goes down for the 10 count. A 2nd round KO win for Des Cox in his first fight. In the real thing in 1967, Cox won by 2nd round TKO.

For Barnes, he disappears from the boxing world. We’ll see Cox 5 more times later in 1967.