"DAZZLING" DARREN BARKER 15/08/2008 Poster

[Dioufy]

Not recently but that was the last name I heard. And I did mention Canada when I said Kofi's name.

[scrap iron]

It is usually on at 9pm or 10pm I think but because Barker is fighting, they're putting it on later - not sure if it's live or not.

Surely if it's on at 2am or 3am it will be live. Why show a pre-recorded fight at the time in the morning if it isn't a live broadcast? They might as well wait 20 hours and show the fight at 8pm the following evening. I hope it is live, I'll happily stay up for this one.

Go Darren!

[scrap iron]

....................but compared to the other prospects on the British scene you would struggle to find many better.

[Maelstrom]

Not recently but that was the last name I heard. And I did mention Canada when I said Kofi's name.

Starting to have doubts Dioufy?

If you still think it's going to be Jantuah, think about something....

Take away all the doubts about whether they would risk Barker against Jantuah and ask yourself this:

How the hell is his promoter going to find the funds to stump up Jantuah's purse? He won't come that cheap.

This show is not going out in a prime Sky slot - there is no way they will pay the usual money - and Canadian TV pays next to nothing from what I hear. Canadian fighters get paid terribly.

Expect a low budget oppo................ If he fights Jantuah, I promise to post you £50 CASH.

[Dioufy]

*awaits £50*

[Autobarn]

It is usually on at 9pm or 10pm I think but because Barker is fighting, they're putting it on later - not sure if it's live or not.

Surely if it's on at 2am or 3am it will be live. Why show a pre-recorded fight at the time in the morning if it isn't a live broadcast? They might as well wait 20 hours and show the fight at 8pm the following evening. I hope it is live, I'll happily stay up for this one.

Go Darren!

Darren is good but he is a long way off worldclass.

No one's world class until they've been developed. At one point, before he got by tests like Zuniga, Kelly Pavlik didn't look too hot. Arthur Abraham has only just started looking the complete package, Felix Sturm's "best performance" was vs as guy called Jamie Pittman. Barker can get there if he gets developed. He's lost about 9 months development following his family tragedy. However he has come back looking intense and purposeful & I've seen fight-by-fight improvements.

[Autobarn]

I don't know. I just want to see a good learning curve so I can find out more, fight by fight. Good Commonwealth title defences, a fight with the British champ, and then building up to a European excursion will keep us clued up.

Honestly, I'm more impressed by Barker than the Yank prospects Peter Quillin and Joe Greene. Although the Europeans on the way up look a bit formidable (Pirog and Golovkin).

Middleweight is a great place for opportunity. Jamie Moore has been talking about moving up. Wayne Elcock has seen the big time and wants another taste of it, if he can get it. It's the division to be and Barker is there with talent and a belt that can hopefully get him meaningful learning fights.

[Dioufy]

Barker's well schooled and he is getting better with each fight. I mean obviously it's a little too early to say if he's going to be a unified champ or even if he's going to hold a major belt, but it's also a little too early to rule it out. He's our best prospect behind Khan, so let's get behind the lad.

[scrap iron]

I don't know. I just want to see a good learning curve so I can find out more, fight by fight. Good Commonwealth title defences, a fight with the British champ, and then building up to a European excursion will keep us clued up.

Honestly, I'm more impressed by Barker than the Yank prospects Peter Quillin and Joe Greene. Although the Europeans on the way up look a bit formidable (Pirog and Golovkin).

Middleweight is a great place for opportunity. Jamie Moore has been talking about moving up. Wayne Elcock has seen the big time and wants another taste of it, if he can get it. It's the division to be and Barker is there with talent and a belt that can hopefully get him meaningful learning fights.

Fair enough, i was ready to jump on you if you saud yes LOL, but you gave a very good rundown

The fact that you have Wayne Elcock, Darren McDermott, Gary Lockett, Matthew Macklin, John Duddy etc on the British middleweight scene at the moment, I think the best way to assess if Darren is future world class is to see how he gets on with those guys. It would probably take him the best part of two years to clean up the domestic scene by winning the British title and make the Lonsdale three required defences. But if he was to come through all that unscathed he would be 28, in his prime and ready to take on the best in the world. If he does, I'd fancy him to win a world title.

[scrap iron]

Told you before lads - it's Kofi Jantuah.

Mick Hennessy said in Boxing News last week that Darren will either be facing "a Canadian or a decent American". The more I think about it the more unrealistic it seems that Jantuah will be the opponent. Why fly Barker all the way to Canada to face a European-based African? Also it looks like nothing has been confirmed with Sky Sports as Hennessy said in the same article he is still negotiating to get the fight shown on UK and US TV. Are you sure you've got your facts right on this one Dioufy?

[Maelstrom]

No he hasn't Scrap Iron... for all the reasons I stated in my last post....

The fact that Hennessy may not have TV is even more proof that he will never get the budget for Jantuah...

[boxingmadness]

I hope this is show on sky or on uk t.v. maybe it will say on his website when Hennessy sports and the tv channels come to some agreement http://www.darrenbarker.co.uk

[scrap iron]

According to Sky Sports their last Friday Fight Night of the season will be July 18 when Danny Williams faces John McDermott. I really hope that Sky Sports do show the Darren Barker fight, but the fact that it is the same weekend the football starts, I just find it hard to believe that Sky would fly out their crew to cover a fight in Canada without a world title on the line. I really hope I'm wrong as I'd love to see the Barker fight, but some of the posts that have been put on this thread seem to be unrealistic. I'm also very doubtful if Kofi Jantuah is now the opponent. Dioufy, please give us an update on what's going on!!

[Autobarn]

Come on, is anything happening with this?

[Dioufy]

In a previous thread when I first said this I said "Kofi Jantuah and Canada" - the latter has since come true, but I am not 100% about the former. I assume it will be true but I don't know - it's not like I speak to Darren anymore, just his pisshead uncle.

[scrap iron]

Ok folks, I have found out whose Darren's opponent is on August 15..............and guess what, it isn't Kofi Jantuah!!!!

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

[scrap iron]

Ok folks, I have found out whose Darren's opponent is on August 15..............and guess what, it isn't Kofi Jantuah!!!!

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

By Murray Greig



Pine Falls, Man., is a sleepy little rural community with a population to match.

But if native son Larry Sharpe manages to wrest the British Commonwealth junior middleweight title from unbeaten Darren Barker when they tangle Aug. 15 at the River Cree Resort & Casino, you can bet that every one of the town's 1,393 residents will be celebrating.

Sharpe, who owns a 22-4 record and is the No. 1 contender for Canadian champion Gareth Sutherland's crown, became the de facto challenger for Barker after repeated efforts to land a world-ranked American opponent came up empty.

"They (Americans) flat out don't want to fight Darren," says Adam Harris of London-based Hennessy Sports, which is promoting the seven-bout card in association with River Cree.

"We talked to several U.S.-based contenders, but they look at Darren's perfect record (17-0) and figure it's not worth the risk.

"In Sharpe, we were fortunate to find a Canadian who is more than willing to take that risk. A win or a strong showing against Barker will certainly put him in the international spotlight."

Sharpes's last fight was a four-round KO of Mexican veteran Mauro Lucero (43-13-1) on May 30.

Further details on the Aug. 15 card, including prelim opponents for Edmonton fighters Nick Penner, Jason De Laronde, Trevor Moyah and Omar (The Mexicutioner) Valdez will be announced next week.

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

[Asterix]

Steven Bendall is ranked 11 by the WBO. I guess that's thanks to the Paul Smith victory. It's a shame Darren isn't ranked by them. :/

[Horse]

Sharpe has been fighting at light middleweight for a while now. Couldn't they have found Barker a middleweight opponent?

[scrap iron]

I thought I recognised this guy, look who he fought in 2006..........

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

[Asterix]

I thought I recognised this guy, look who he fought in 2006..........

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

Oh yeah, Martin Desjardins. Good find.

[Autobarn]

Any news on the TV coverage? Hopefully not Eurosport 3 months after the fight. Surely it'll get better than that. Actually, Eurosport did go live from Canada with Ndoudjo-Mbaye. There is hope.

[scrap iron]

I thought I recognised this guy, look who he fought in 2006..........

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

Oh yeah, Martin Desjardins. Good find.

Scott Dann, you numpty. I seem to remember Sharpe was a bit limited when he fought Dann for the Commonwealth title. But he has won his last six (five by ko).

[Maelstrom]

Dioufy... sorry mate, but you are having a laugh.

You come on here telling us to 'BELIEVE' it's Jantuah, even in the face of logical arguments.

It turns our your source was his uncle. You are a sucker for gym talk. God knows what it would be like if you ever did step in a gym, you would come out believing every other fighter in there was a future world champion.

Exactly as I said, low budget opponent. And probably no TV. They can spin it all they like as a big fight in Canada, but this is no good for Barker.

[scrap iron]

Does this mean you get £50 off Dioufy now?