Darren Barker Conundrum - IBF champ But the 3rd best Brit???

We have a guy who has just reached the pinnacle of his career and yet he may only be the third or fourth best Brit in the Country at middle........

Vs Macklin...........Think he beats Macklin who has had two good pastings..........50/50 before...........

Vs Murray............Murray takes it by decision for me.........

Vs Saunders........Honestly think Saunders is the right kid at the wrong time at world level.......Golovkin might just clean up at middle..But If he doesn't I believe he's the most talented and YOUNGEST of the lot.........He beats Barker for me........

Wouldn't it be good If Barker was to start defending against the Brits or better still getting Martinez again..........Martinez still for me!!......

Or GGG which wouldn't be a good business move.......

Respect for Barker but an overachiever for me..........

Agree with this. Think Barker would actually get beat in a rematch with Geale. Have a feeling that fight was the best he will ever be and he did take a lot of punishment. It's all well and good putting in the hard graft to win the belt, but lets see his desire to defend it.

As shot as Strum is, I can still see Felix winning in December. Barker deserves the praise and his story (fighting for his dead bro) was the cherry on the cake.

But I have a feeling he won't be in possession of the belt for much longer. As you say Truss, he's not even the best in his own country let alone Europe/World.

Nice guy, but still an average belt holder (ala Clev)

I think he beats Sturm............But it won't be easy...........

Barker reminds of when Robert Hines beat a flabby Mattthew Hilton....Every promoter was on the phone looking for an easy belt..

Barker though is better than Hines and I wish him luck.

Yeh, agree 100% with both the OP and within him beating Sturm. Tight UD, maybe even SD.

Slightly reserve judgement on BJS until after the Ryder fight. That's a good fight and a good yardstick. He;s taken it slightly slow so far, not helped by injuries, but he needs to be at Euro level and pushing beyond now. Maybe looking at some names like Lee, Mora and Vera.

I think if Sturm is still hungry he beats Barker. although I would fancy Barker to beat Murray and Macklin at the moment. Murrays next fight will be interesting, to find out if hes an improved fighter or one that got Martinez at almost the perfect time. Macklin is finished I suspect, and Murray is a bit flat footed for me. if Barker were to fight Sturm toe to toe like he did Geale I think he gets stopped.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:We have a guy who has just reached the pinnacle of his career and yet he may only be the third or fourth best Brit in the Country at middle........

Vs Macklin...........Think he beats Macklin who has had two good pastings..........50/50 before...........

Vs Murray............Murray takes it by decision for me.........

Vs Saunders........Honestly think Saunders is the right kid at the wrong time at world level.......Golovkin might just clean up at middle..But If he doesn't I believe he's the most talented and YOUNGEST of the lot.........He beats Barker for me........

Wouldn't it be good If Barker was to start defending against the Brits or better still getting Martinez again..........Martinez still for me!!......

Or GGG which wouldn't be a good business move.......

Respect for Barker but an overachiever for me..........

If Froch can get stick for defending against Groves then you can bet your big pants that there'll be hell to pay if Barker starts defending aginst the chasing pack of Brits.

Is Froch getting stick for Groves??

DAVE667 wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:We have a guy who has just reached the pinnacle of his career and yet he may only be the third or fourth best Brit in the Country at middle........

Vs Macklin...........Think he beats Macklin who has had two good pastings..........50/50 before...........

Vs Murray............Murray takes it by decision for me.........

Vs Saunders........Honestly think Saunders is the right kid at the wrong time at world level.......Golovkin might just clean up at middle..But If he doesn't I believe he's the most talented and YOUNGEST of the lot.........He beats Barker for me........

Wouldn't it be good If Barker was to start defending against the Brits or better still getting Martinez again..........Martinez still for me!!......

Or GGG which wouldn't be a good business move.......

Respect for Barker but an overachiever for me..........

If Froch can get stick for defending against Groves then you can bet your big pants that there'll be hell to pay if Barker starts defending aginst the chasing pack of Brits.

Has he had stick ??.......I'm really looking forward to that fight...

Difference is that Murray, in particular, but also Macklin, have a global name and are among the leaders of the chasing pack at 160. The conclusive nature of Macklin's defeat against Golovkin has possibly pushed him back a bit, but Barker-Murray is a perfectly acceptable title fight in this day and age.

If, and it's a big if, Barker can beat Sturm and then Geale in a rematch, Murray would be an obvious next fight.

As for Saunders, he is just 24, much younger than the others, and has already beaten some decent opposition. I'd particularly single out that stunning win over Jarrod Fletcher, who is nobody's fool. He can really box, Billy Joe, and I ultimately believe that he could give a good account of himself against even the might of Golovkin with a bit more experience under his belt. I expect him to beat Ryder and then start to take aim at the European belt, to add to his British and Commonwealth crowns. I've always felt that this guy's potential is enormous and I hope that he will prove that to be the case over the next three years or so.

Barker is much better than people give him credit for at the weight at the moment i would only put him behind GGG, Murray and Martinez. GGG would ruin him, Murray would probably stop him late, but Barker might even beat the fading Martinez now (who i honestly think loses to Murray anywhere in the world outside of Argentina now) Macklin would be tough but i would fancy Barker to take the decision. BJS is not ready for that level yet, but in 18 months might be the best of the lot of them.

Macklin's next fight will be very revealing...should it be a decent opponent..

TopHat24/7 wrote:Is Froch getting stick for Groves??

(Week one) "Groves isn't in my league, he doesn't deserve a shot (cue endless spouting about warriors etc etc)
(Week two - after being informed he'll be stripped of the title if he doesn't face anyone) "Groves is a decent opponent and as a warrior I'll fight anyone, be it in the trenches, on the beaches, the fields and oceans, with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, on the battlefields, in the arenas or in the streets cos that's what warriors do innit?"

Yes, Froch has been accused of double standards when he's talked endlessly about fighting Ward and then taken on Ward who he's previously belittled.. I agree with comments further down that Murray and to a degree Macklin have improved their standing immensely on the world stage, but I'm talking not about an objective view being taken here, I'm talking about those people who seek to criticise at every turn and I'm certain that in some quarters, Barker and his team would be given a dog's abuse for fighting (gasp) a BRITISH opponent.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Macklin's next fight will be very revealing...should it be a decent opponent..

Wouldn't have any qualms with an eliminator between him and Murray with the winner to face Barker (just as long as it's not PPV)

That's not a very convincing post.........

If Froch putting Groves down and selling the fight is all you can muster........

no offence kiddo..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:That's not a very convincing post.........

If Froch putting Groves down and selling the fight is all you can muster........

no offence kiddo..

So you're not convinced...big whoop. Froch has slated Groves refusing to face him and it's only when he's been threatened with losing his belt that he's changed his tune about it. Yes, he's selling the fight but he's still got stick for his about turn

DAVE667 wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:Is Froch getting stick for Groves??

(Week one) "Groves isn't in my league, he doesn't deserve a shot (cue endless spouting about warriors etc etc)
(Week two - after being informed he'll be stripped of the title if he doesn't face anyone) "Groves is a decent opponent and as a warrior I'll fight anyone, be it in the trenches, on the beaches, the fields and oceans, with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, on the battlefields, in the arenas or in the streets cos that's what warriors do innit?"

Still don't see how that is Froch getting stick for fighting Groves. Him putting his own foot in it maybe, but most people aren't getting upset about the match up - not like there's much else out there for him, get beat for a poor pay day versus a guy he's already come up short against or finish a trilogy with someone he's just comprehensively beaten who many regard as over the hill. Who else? Steiglitz??!

It's not about being convinced.......It's about you making a statement that a lot of people are pooing this fight.......and using just a combatant's throwaway irrelevant quotes as evidence..

But fairplay and all that.