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Darren Barker, 28, quickly got rid of the cobwebs and his passionate fans were on their feet throughout a challenging 12-round tussle with Domenico Spada.
The unbeaten middleweight star dominated the early rounds and, despite tiring a little towards the end, he fully deserved to walk away with a unanimous decision.
Barker said: "I'm better than that, but I haven't been in there for a year so there was a bit of rust, which I didn't honestly think there would be.
"It did creep up on me, but that's not taking anything away from Spada. What a tough opponent he was."
Italian Spada made life difficult for Dazzling Daz but the Chelsea football fan impressed with accurate, speedy combinations. He looked comfortable behind his tight guard and picked off his opponent if and when at will.
Barker was on the wrong end of a clash of heads in the third but continued to build his early growing lead on the judges scorecards.
Spada's spoiling tactics allowed him to connect with a solid left in the fifth round yet it was Barker who continued to land more quality shots and combinations.
The Chelsea fan began to find the going a bit tougher at the end of the seventh and into the eighth as Spada took the contest to him.
Barker's movement and speed gradually slowed during the later rounds but he remained on top until the final bell.
The scorecards were closer than everyone at ringside expected, with two judges calling it 116-113 and the other judge 115-113. Much to the surprise of "The Pride Of Wales" boxing legend Joe Calzaghe.
Regardless of whether he should have been given the decision by a greater margin, Barker was simply happy to reclaim the title he never lost, A hip injury had forced him to vacate a year ago.
Barker added: "Those 12 rounds were very valuable and they're in the bank now, so onwards and upwards."
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