Zelfa Barrett v James Dickens - Tale of the Tape: Weight, height, reach, trainers, records & more

We analyse the credentials and statistics of Zelfa Barrett and James Dickens as the pair get set to contest a fascinating crossroads showdown in the super-featherweight division on Saturday night.

Saturday night’s super-featherweight matchup between Zelfa Barrett and James Dickens is the perfect example of a crossroads fight.

Barrett boasts all the ingredients to become a world champion, and a genuine star, but in his 11-year career the Mancunian has only challenged for a major title once!

Meanwhile, Dickens’ professional career appears to be hanging by a thread, whereby defeat could signal the end of a 14 year career in the fighting game.

Defeat for either is unthinkable, but who will it be having their hand raised aloft this weekend?

Before we find out, let’s look at the 'Tale of the Tape'.

Zelfa Barrett v James Dickens - Tale of the Tape

	Zelfa Barrett	James Dickens
Age:	31	33
Nickname:	'Brown Flash'	'Jazza'
Height:	5ft 7ins	5ft 5ins
Reach:	68ins	63ins
Weight:	Super-featherweight	Super-featherweight
Trainer:	Pat Barrett	Albert Ayrapetyan
Record:	31-2 (17 KOs)	34-5 (14 KOs)
Last Fight:	Won (UD) v Jordan Gill (April 2024)	Won (UD) v Eduardo Mancito (September 2024)

Zelfa Barrett - In Profile

Zelfa Barrett’s second career loss showed exactly why so many had once tipped him to become a world champion.

The ninth round stoppage defeat against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov was a harsh lesson for the Brit who had the IBF super featherweight champion on the floor in round three.

But come the ninth, Rakhimov’s pressure and the pace of the fight culminated in Barrett’s challenge fading away.

Since that night in Abu Dhabi, in November 2022, Barrett’s career hasn’t kicked on how it should have.

Three fights and three wins, one of which an eight-round contest, against Jason Sanchez, Costin Ion and Jordan Gill continued to showcase the best of Barrett, but also the slip-ups which, at a higher level, could prove costly once again.

The 31-year-old currently sits at number six in the IBF rankings and seven with the WBA making a second world title shot a definite possibility.

That will all go up in smoke, however, if he doesn’t beat Dickens on Saturday night.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Lateral movement	Legs
Whipping shots	Struggles under sustained pressure
Footwork	Inconsistent
Combinations	Controlling pace of a fight

James Dickens - In Profile

‘Jazza’ Dickens will always be a hugely popular character characters in British boxing.

The 33-year-old’s rise is a remarkable one, and was part of a 2012 Channel 4 documentary entitled ‘Knockout Scousers’.

Boxing since he was 12, Dickens has given his heart and soul to the sport but now looks to be writing the final chapter of a story worthy of Hollywood.

He emerged properly during a valiant defeat to Kid Galahad for the British super-bantamweight title on 2013.

The Scouser bounced back to take on Cuban genius Guillermo Rigondeaux three years later, but, sadly, Dickens’ looked outclassed in the first round and retired in the second with a broken jaw.

Rarely downbeat, Dickens soldiered on and picked up huge back-to-back wins against Leigh Wood and Ryan Walsh in 2020.

Defeat to Galahad in a 2021 rematch could have signalled the end but the second world title defeat simply spurred him on.

However, it was his heavy knockout loss against Hector Andres Sosa in July 2023 which left plenty of cause for concern. It was the type of ending to cause worry and panic ringside but thankfully he got back to his stool.

The fitness fanatic has eased himself back in gently since with two wins against lowly opposition, but on Saturday night we’ll find out if Dickens’ is enjoying an Indian Summer or whether it's time, for his own safety, to finally hang up the gloves.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Versatility	On the slide
Hand speed	Takes too many unnecessary shots
Boxing IQ	Punch resistance
Defensive skills	Makes life difficult for himself