Barker ready to hunt down Macklin

[HS Press]

Barker ready to hunt down Macklin

Darren Barker wants to prove beyond doubt that he’s the best Middleweight in Britain by adding Matthew Macklin’s British title to his Commonwealth crown. The undefeated Barnet man was punch perfect in defending his Commonwealth title at the Watford Colosseum last weekend as he scored a one punch stoppage win over Darren McDermott in a fight which doubled as a final eliminator for the British title.

Barker believes his clinical fourth round victory over McDermott sent out a real statement ahead of a major domestic showdown with Macklin. “I think I proved a lot of doubters wrong on Saturday night,” said Barker.

“I know there were some people tipping McDermott to ‘expose’ me but I knew all along that I was on a different level to him and I think I answered a lot of questions with that win. McDermott’s a tough man, he’s a big middleweight, he’s physically strong and has a great chin but I think that final right hand would have put any middleweight in the world over.”

Now Barker has his sights set on Macklin who won the British title in March by stopping Wayne Elcock. “I take my hat off to Macklin, he did well against Elcock and full credit to him but it will be a whole different ball game when he fights me.

“Macklin said that his fight with Elcock was all about levels and I believe our fight will be all about levels as well. I truly believe that I’m World class and in a different league to Macklin. Our records in the amateurs and the pro’s prove that.”

Barker was a Commonwealth Gold medallist in the unpaid ranks and a vastly experienced international competitor. “Macklin says he’s mixed at a higher level but I was in a whole other league as an amateur,” explained the 27-year-old. “I’m the better boxer, I’m much bigger at the weight and I proved on Saturday night that I have the power to take people out with one punch.”

The Chelsea fanatic went on to say, “Ultimately I believe I’m a premier league fighter and I don’t think Macklin can say that.”

While Barker wants a showdown with Macklin as soon as possible he’s concerned that the fight may not happen. “I just hope that we can get the fight on now. You get people saying that we should wait another 12 or 18 months and build it into a bigger fight but what’s the point in waiting. That’s why most of the fights that people want to see in boxing never end up happening. It’s a massive clash as it is, a British and Commonwealth title fight with both belts on the line so hopefully the Board will force the fight and we can get it on around September or October.”

With plans already in place to establish domestic superiority before the end of 2009 Barker hopes to move on to the World stage next year. “You never want to look too far ahead but I believe the middleweight division at world level is going to be wide open in the next 12 months or so and I believe I’ll be peaking at just the right time to take advantage of that.

“Boxing is my life and I’ve dedicated myself to it and I truly believe I can compete at the very highest level in the sport. I’ve watched Carl Froch go to the U.S. and beat the likes of Jermain Taylor and they are the kind of occasions I aspire to and hopefully nights like those are not too far away for me either.”

[Counter-puncher]

said it before, i will not believe that barker is in any way bigger at the weight until I see it for my own eyes. it's not science but here goes: Elcock looked as big, if not as tall as McDermott. Mcdermott looked bigger than Barker. then before the Macklin fight Elcock talks about how he is the bigger man than Macklin who is a 'small middleweight' apparently. i mean, everyone knew Macklin was a very big lightmiddle indeed but apparently he's a small middleweight. except, in the ring, he looked no smaller than Elcock at all, and Elcock is very solid at 160. conclusion: saying Barker is bigger than macklin at 160 is yet to be proven, at best.

[Autobarn]

i doubt this fight happens though i'd love it to happen

put it this way, both lads have world class ambitions, but if they fight, chances are only one of them will move up in class afterward

there's more to lose here, than in, say, macklin-elcock and barker-mcdermott

[Counter-puncher]

true mate but not much more to lose than Jamie Moore had when he elected to take on Macklin

i am the king of wishful thinking. amongst other things.

[Lenny]

Cheers Counter-puncher, that song is going to take some dislodging from my brain now.

Barker v Macklin not only looks a really difficult fight to pick on paper, but their styles should gel excellently and they both bring big fan bases to the table. I don't see why the loser should have no where to go, British boxing dies a little every time we miss out on a fight like this.

Both fighters sound keen and hopefully Cleverly v McIntosh will be the start of many Frank and Mick fighters coming up against one another.

[Counter-puncher]

haha. sorry mate. all good points you make there though. except barker's fanbase he had may be 200 there the other night i thought.
if its any help, 'hold a chicken in the air stick a deckchair up your nose'
'hello, you fool, i love you, come on join the joyride'
or maybe 'I still love you, je ne sais pas pourquoi'

[alexpaterson]

Really hope it happens both fighters really want it and believe they can win it i would slightly favour Barker but it would be a great fight

[Spud]

Mr Barker you are biting off more than you can chew!!!

[Hardcase]

Mr Barker you are biting off more than you can chew!!!

Barker will make Macklin look very very foolish,
Mark my words it will be an easy night for Barker.

[Autobarn]

well it sounds like barker & hennessy want it. do macklin and sports network want it? we've seen Hennessy fighter calls out Warren fighter before, so will this one come off? which side needs it more?

the world champs are all busy - pavlik v mora when they can get it back on, abraham-oral & then lorenzo, sturm-gevor & then possibly sturm-mundine - and the EBU title is in Germany...

the question is, is there a big juicy alternative for macklin? shame the WBU is on the way out, as extra money in the pot might have been useful to get these together. like when there were a load of great fights at lightweight / light welter, a fringe belt was enough to get UK's best together (neary-holligan, the dunne-ayers-rigby fights).

i'd love to see barker-geale for the commonwealth. some feel geale beat mundine, or at least pushed the more experienced man close.

[oilup]

Mr Barker you are biting off more than you can chew!!!

Barker will make Macklin look very very foolish,
Mark my words it will be an easy night for Barker.

Agreed. Andrew "Smiley" Facey made Macklin look poor and easily outboxed him. Moore outmanned him. Barker is better than both in my opinion.

[scrap iron]

Mr Barker you are biting off more than you can chew!!!

I disagree with you Spud. I admit Matthew Macklin maybe has the edge in physical strength over Darren Barker and he hits hard enough to hurt him, but in recent fights and especially in the last one, Barker has shown he is able to cover up and take a lot of his opponents punches on his gloves and arms when he has two. Barker has a snappy jab which I believe he will land at will and his dangerous straight right and a good left hook will also find the the target. Barker beats Macklin for hand-speed and he also has height and reach advantages over Matthew. As long as Darren is stupid and stands in front of Macklin trading punches with his chin exposed, I think he will do a number on Macklin and possibly stop him quicker them Moore did. I think the Moore fight took a little out of Macklin and I notice he has been wobbled in recents fights. Barker by stoppage.

[Chambers2]

I agree with Barker this fight needs to happen asap. It's a close fight IMO, but if pushed I'd pick Barker to win a close decision

[slapbangwhallop]

Mr Barker you are biting off more than you can chew!!!

Barker will make Macklin look very very foolish,
Mark my words it will be an easy night for Barker.

Agreed. Andrew "Smiley" Facey made Macklin look poor and easily outboxed him. Moore outmanned him. Barker is better than both in my opinion.

its a different Macklin these days.

Macklin KO!

[Spud]

Mr Barker you are biting off more than you can chew!!!

I disagree with you Spud. I admit Matthew Macklin maybe has the edge in physical strength over Darren Barker and he hits hard enough to hurt him, but in recent fights and especially in the last one, Barker has shown he is able to cover up and take a lot of his opponents punches on his gloves and arms when he has two. Barker has a snappy jab which I believe he will land at will and his dangerous straight right and a good left hook will also find the the target. Barker beats Macklin for hand-speed and he also has height and reach advantages over Matthew. As long as Darren is stupid and stands in front of Macklin trading punches with his chin exposed, I think he will do a number on Macklin and possibly stop him quicker them Moore did. I think the Moore fight took a little out of Macklin and I notice he has been wobbled in recents fights. Barker by stoppage.

Ahh at last boxing debate!!!

There is no denying Barker has some good skills - but despite the stoppage win against McDermott sorry but he certainly does not have the punch power to stop European or World class fighters in their tracks - I have no problems admitting if I am wrong when the day comes to do that but I just do not see it.

Barker is a nice lad, who is a credit to the sport the way he conducts himself and comes across on TV - he is clearly a skilful boxer but I simply do not see that being enough to keep the top opponents away - when one of those opponents gets through - does he have the chin to wishstand heavy pressure - I think not on that one too!!!

I may well be wrong - just cant see it!!!

[Captain Hook]

Spud - Can see your points but I think he'll beat Macklin in a very tough scrap, maybe even by late TKO.

Whether he's world class we will see after that fight. I certainly think he's good enough to at least challenge the likes of Pavlik and co in 12-18 months time.

He would put up more of a fight than Rubio did, and as much as it pains me to say it, Gary Lockett.

[Dioufy]

Barker is an amazing talent - if he doesn't win a version of the world championship then I will be disappointed.

McDermott will be British champion and look what he did with him.

[Counter-puncher]

McDermott will be British champion and look what he did with him.

much as i like to see you say that, if it does happen, it'll only be when macklin/Barker are off to bigger and better things.

[Dioufy]

McDermott will be British champion and look what he did with him.

much as i like to see you say that, if it does happen, it'll only be when macklin/Barker are off to bigger and better things.

Yeah, that's true, but I believe both Barker and Macklin to be way above British and possibly European class.

[Counter-puncher]

hmph. right now i am pegging them both at or around Euro level. await further evidence before thinking of levels above that.

my worry for macca is that a good, mobile boxer will always give him problems. i think he'd give M Murray a stiff test right now, for example, but with maturation i think Murray *should* maybe have too much skill.

:(

[Dioufy]

I guess sometimes you are just not good enough, although Barker is class.

[glahn]

I just want to see this fight get made. I honestly think it'll be a British FOTY. It's a nice mix of styles and both guys bring quality and intensity. I don't think it's easy to separate them prediction-wise, but if I had to choose at this point I'd maybe give Macklin a slight edge, despite the fact that I rate Barker slightly higher at world level. Don't know if that makes sense, but I just think Macklin has the style to out-work Barker and put him out of his rhythm over the distance.

[states]

I will be made up if this gets sorted. As glahn says, it's got fight of the year written all over it. Fancy Barker to be cute enough to win it down the stretch, but I certainly wouldn't count Macklin out.

[danny harding]

said it before, i will not believe that barker is in any way bigger at the weight until I see it for my own eyes. it's not science but here goes: Elcock looked as big, if not as tall as McDermott. Mcdermott looked bigger than Barker. then before the Macklin fight Elcock talks about how he is the bigger man than Macklin who is a 'small middleweight' apparently. i mean, everyone knew Macklin was a very big lightmiddle indeed but apparently he's a small middleweight. except, in the ring, he looked no smaller than Elcock at all, and Elcock is very solid at 160. conclusion: saying Barker is bigger than macklin at 160 is yet to be proven, at best.

macklin is bigger than elcock but is he bigger than barker but barker is bigger than mcdermott but mcdermott could be as big as elcock but i wonder who is the biggest of the biggest it remeans to be seen.

[Dioufy]

Barker is a very small 160lb'er but he does look to be growing into the division.

By the way, Counter-puncher knows what he's talking about.