Saturday, January 04, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Royce Feour

Barry leaving his mark on boxing as trainer

Boxer Augie Sanchez, left, works out with trainer Pat Barry at Barry's Boxing on Aug. 14, 2001. Photo by K.M. Cannon.

Pat Barry never came close to fighting for a championship when he was a boxer, but he does have the satisfaction of having trained two fighters who competed for titles.

The Las Vegan trained Bones Adams when Adams captured the WBA super bantamweight title with an impressive 12-round decision over Nestor Garza in 2000. Barry also managed and trained his son-in-law, Augie Sanchez, who lost to Prince Naseem Hamed for the WBO featherweight championship in 2000.

"The ultimate level of success is to fight for a title and be a world champion," Barry said. "To help young men who are aspiring to do that and help them achieve their goal, that was quite a feeling of satisfaction."

Barry, who was raised on Long Island, N.Y., turned professional in 1972 and compiled a 12-8-5 record in a nine-year boxing career. But it is as a trainer that Barry has made his mark.

He and his wife, Dawn, have operated gyms for amateur boxers since 1984 at three locations. Barry has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for 24 years and is a detective in the juvenile division. Dawn Barry retired Friday after serving with Metro for 22 years.

Top Rank chief matchmaker Bruce Trampler is particularly high on Barry's talents as a trainer.

"Pat is an unheralded trainer who turned Bones Adams into a puncher to help him win the WBA championship over Nestor Garza," Trampler said. "And he dramatically improved Augie Sanchez to the point where he knocked Jorge Paez out cold for the only time in his legendary career, and dropped Naseem Hamed in his only opportunity to win a crown.

"Pat is a product of the New York gyms during the '70s. He learned how to fight and coach from legendary Gil Clancy. If my son was a fighter, Pat Barry is the guy I would have train him. His contributions to local amateurs and pros go largely unnoticed, but his talents should be recognized. He's part of an elite group with Miguel Diaz, Kenny Adams, Floyd Mayweather Sr. and others that give Las Vegas the best group of trainers of any city in the country."

Manager Cameron Dunkin, who has a knack for spotting and signing amateur talent, also is a believer in Barry.

"I wouldn't hesitate to put the best amateur prospects in America with Pat," Dunkin said. "He really does make a difference."

Barry had the good fortune to be instructed by Hall of Fame trainer Gil Clancy early in his career. Clancy trained former welterweight and middleweight champion Emile Griffith, and Barry benefited from working out with Griffith, another Hall of Famer.

"I was Emile's chief sparring partner for quite a few years," Barry said. "That is how I learned a lot of the ring technique and the boxing skills that I acquired and that I have tried to pass on."

Barry suffered a dislocated shoulder after his seventh fight, which curtailed his career.

"I had been doing well, but then it would pop out, even in training," he said. "I had corrective surgery, but it wasn't the same. I was kind of favoring it."

Clancy advised Barry to quit boxing and offered to break him in as a trainer. But Barry wasn't ready to give up fighting yet.

"From the time I was a little guy, all I wanted to do was box, so I went off on my own," he said.

Barry was fortunate to join another prominent New York trainer, Jimmy Glenn, and went 3-1 with Glenn before heading to Las Vegas to fight Michael Spinks in Spinks' pro debut in 1977. The Spinks fight fell through because Spinks was too big for Barry, but Barry stayed in Las Vegas and was trained by the late Johnny Tocco. Barry won his first three bouts in Las Vegas, but lost his next four and retired.

He got into working with kids and liked that so much he opened a gym.

"I think it is a great sport (for kids)," Barry said. "First of all, for the identification. They really find out what they are made of and the self-esteem that is built in them and the confidence. They start realizing when you put hard work and dedication toward a desired goal, it is achievable."

Royce Feour's boxing column is published Saturday. He can be reached by phone at 383-0354, fax at 383-4676 or e-mail at rfeour@reviewjournal.com.