Boxer Shumenov makes needed fixes

Beibut Shumenov realized he had to change his boxing style if he was ever going to win a world championship.

Whether it was the way he threw punches or the way he defended opponents' blows, the 26-year-old native of Kazakhstan knew he had to do things differently.

Having worked with veteran trainer Kevin Barry in Las Vegas the past two months, Shumenov is confident his refinements will pay off tonight when he tries again to wrest the WBA light heavyweight title from Gabriel Campillo in a scheduled 12-round fight at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Shumenov came close to taking Campillo's belt on Aug. 15 but lost a majority decision in Astana, Kazakhstan.

During training, Barry has tried to increase Shumenov's power by putting more of his body behind his punches. He has sharpened Shumenov's footwork and head movement, hoping to make him a more elusive target than in his first fight against Campillo, when the Spaniard was able to land his jab effectively.

"I've learned a lot. I'm ready," Shumenov said. "Everything's going excellent. We've had 174 rounds of sparring. Kevin is an excellent trainer. He changed the way I throw my punches, and I have more power and I'm more accurate."

Barry said it is unusual for a fighter of Shumenov's age to successfully change the way he fights.

"He's extremely intelligent and he's a good listener," Barry said of Shumenov, a 2004 Olympian who was a practicing attorney in Kazakhstan before moving to Las Vegas in 2008. "He picks things up quickly and you don't have to tell him twice."

Shumenov said he intends to return to the courtroom one day, but for now, he hopes to make a convincing case against Campillo (19-2 with five knockouts).

"Boxing was my childhood dream," said Shumenov (8-1, six KOs). "I wanted to be a world champion. So I want to concentrate on my boxing. I can go back (to law) when I'm through with boxing."

Shumenov hopes training and fighting in Las Vegas will yield better results than in his first bout against Campillo. While training for that fight in Kazakhstan, Shumenov thinks he was distracted by being at home, surrounded by family and friends. In Las Vegas, where he is largely unknown, he can quietly train with Barry and focus on winning.

"The last time I fought (Campillo), I wasn't ready for the championship level," Shumenov conceded. "I didn't have any strategy; I didn't have any plan. But since I've been with Kevin Barry, I feel I can reach the highest level."

Tonight's card, which begins at 7, will be aired on Fox Sports Net. In the co-main event, Cuban junior middleweight Erislandy Lara (9-0, five KOs) faces Grady Brewer (26-11, 15 KOs), who won "The Contender" reality TV series in 2006.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.