BRITISH champion Matthew Barney's elusive boxing style was developed in a somewhat unorthodox fashion.

The super-middleweight has spent countless hours in the gym honing his skills, but admits his over-riding approach to the fight game was fashioned as he grew up.

From the age of ten, Barney and late brother Mark used to spar in the back garden of their home near Bishop's Waltham. The rules were simple. You fought until someone quit.

He remembers: "I had a punchbag and when the big fights were on we always used to watch them on the television. My brother was bigger than me. He could punch really hard, so I developed my style. We were serious, but it was fun. We would keep going until someone jacked it in first. None of us ever would and I kept running, he couldn't hit me"

Dad Chalkie says: "We just played about all the time and I used to spar with the boys when they were younger mainly to keep them off the streets. Then we took him to Fareham Boxing Club with Derek Hoyle. You could see the potential in him from a young age, but his style was different.

"I have a disagreement with people sometimes. If someone is good and can't be hit they say they are awkward. The truth of the matter is that Matthew is being clever. When they couldn't hit Muhammad Ali boxing off his back foot on the jab they said he was being clever.

"Matthew holds a professional boxer's licence not a professional brawler's licence and it is a noble art.

"A lot of people like a Saturday night brawl, rushing in, no skill to it at all just a pool of blood. Our way of looking at it is that he is going in sensibly and we want him to come out of it sensibly."

Barney added the British title in March to his Southern Area, IBO intercontinental and British Masters titles after jabbing his way to a points victory against Basingstoke's Dean Francis.

He had next wanted to fight German Sven Ottke for the WBA and IBF world titles but now hopes to defend his British title in Southampton in June.

Barney believes his style could also upset local rival Tony Oakey, who holds a version of the light-heavyweight world title - and he believes the Portsmouth boxer knows it.

"Ever since I've turned pro I've asked him to spar with me," says Barney. "I've said 'you are from Portsmouth, I'm from Southampton, let's have a fight'. What more pleasure could he give his fans than beat someone from Southampton? He has said I'm not in his class. I wouldn't say that about him, he is a good fighter, but has never fought anyone in my class."

Chalkie says: "Oakey knows Matthew has got the style to beat him. I'm sure Dean Francis would have knocked Tony Oakey spark out. Remember Matthew sparred with Joe Calzaghe and made him look silly and he is someone who always tries to knock people out in sparring."

Barney started off at Fareham ABC, before briefly packing up boxing and then moving to Waterlooville ABC under Gwyn Evans where he turned professional after reaching the ABA quarter-finals.

Chalkie adds: "He has learnt a hell of a lot from all his trainers - Derek Hoyle, Gwyn Evans, former world champion Charlie Magri, who was his first professional trainer, and now his trainer Alan Smith at the Maloney Fight Factory.

"He has come a long way and now we believe that this year his style can take him from being champion of Britain to the champion of the world."