Morrison has work cut out to regain title

BARRY MORRISON admits he will need an even stronger performance than in his first title triumph if he is to reclaim his crown as British light- welterweight champion.

The Motherwell boxer, 28, won the belt with a win over Lenny Daws in January 2007 but lost his first defence against Colin Lynes in his home town just six months later.

The Scot considered hanging up his gloves for good following the defeat and spent several weeks licking his wounds and pondering his future. But now he is gearing up for the opportunity to steer his career back on track in Liverpool on July 4 when he takes on David Barnes, who won the vacant title with victory over Ted Bami in March.

Morrison admitted: "I'll probably need to be even better than the Daws fight. Barnes has been the welterweight champion.

"He is a good operator but I'm not sure he can fight at the pace for 12 rounds down at light-welterweight. I know I can and that will be a big plus for me. But I might need to be a bit more wary because Barnes is a bit slicker than Daws and can hit a bit more."