Boxing: At Full Strength, Mickey Bey Wants His Belt Back

Mickey Bey played the imposter of the smooth fighter, doing a great job of camouflaging it for years. However, the occasional wince could not be ignored. Neither could the pain, which he kept silent about, though it rattled through his body each time he landed a punch. The most precious piece of hardware on a fighter is his hands, and Bey admits his hand was not right for a while.

The former IBF lightweight titlist was stripped of the belt because of a hand injury that left him inactive and unable to accept a title defense against Denis Shafikov. Bey (22-1-1, 10 KOs) on Friday gets the chance to recoup what he felt was unjustifiably taken from him when he faces Cuban expatriate and current IBF lightweight champion Rances Barthelemy (24-0, 13 KOs) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. It airs at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV.

“People want to see the best fight the best, and this has been out there inaccurately about being stripped, but I had hand surgery after I won [the IBF belt from Miguel Vazquez in September 2014] and there was a misunderstanding when I was able to come back,” Bey said. “It took me six months to recover from surgery. No disrespect to [Shafikov], but he wasn’t on my level at all. I just beat Vazquez basically with one hand. The reason I was stripped was 100 percent because of the injury.

“What people don’t know is that I‘ve been fighting four or five years with a bad hand,” he added. “No one has seen the best version of Mickey Bey yet. That’s why I’m excited for this fight. This is going to be a whole other ball game. I’m fighting the best, but I’m healthy for the first time in a while, which is going to enable me to show what I can do. That’s all I want -- to show what I can do.”

Bey admits he fought for the last four or five years not completely trusting himself. He would throw a punch not knowing whether or not his hand would hold up. He also knew he wasn’t winning when he wasn’t 100 percent.

“That’s scary for my opponent, because Barthelemy doesn’t know what I’m capable of doing. I’m going to get the job done, believe me,” Bey said. “Only my corner has seen what I’m able to do. I’ll be able to show a lot more against Barthelemy, who I have to give him his credit. I give him credit for standing up and taking this fight, but I know for sure that he’s underestimating me. He never fought anyone like me. He hasn’t fought the kind of competition I fought. He may be a little delusional if he thinks he has.

“I have the heart and believe in myself,” he added. “I accepted the fight, which is basically in his backyard. I have a lot of dog in me, and I’m ready. This will be a good fight on Friday night.”

Most importantly, Bey will be right for the first time in a while. He can trust himself, firm in the knowledge that he won’t break down.

“I love the fact that no one thinks I can beat Barthelemy, like no one thought I could beat Vazquez,” Bey said. “I fought all of those years with one hand. We’ll see what happens on Friday. I have no doubt whatsoever. I don’t believe in hype. Barthelemy is going to have to show me what he’s able to do. This is the best I’ve felt in five years. As a fighter, I had to fear myself about hurting my hand. This time, I don’t have to worry about that. Now, it’s just me and him. I don’t have to baby myself anymore.”