Martinez v Barker is ON

[Deserter]

he's probably at his peak.

Really?!

I agree with glahn.

j
Well, I'll answer you both at the same time, as i'm amazed that you think having a year's lay-off followed by one fight against Spada constitutes the type of preparation needed to get Barker to his 'peak'.
A fighter reaches his peak not just through genetics (age) but through experience and fights that provide significant 'learns'. 27 is still fairly young in boxing terms these days and there's no indication of imminent physical decline on Barker's part. By contrast, I defy anyone to tell me that having a lengthy lay-off followed by one 12-rounder against a fighter well short of world-class is the perfect way for a fighter to peak.... I'm willing to bet even those closest to him would say that if he'd had another two/three bouts at fringe world-level he'd be sharper, more experienced and thus a better fighter i.e. at his peak in terms of hitting the perfect balance between physical development and experience.

[Asterix]

Really?!

I agree with glahn.

j
Well, I'll answer you both at the same time, as i'm amazed that you think having a year's lay-off followed by one fight against Spada constitutes the type of preparation needed to get Barker to his 'peak'.
A fighter reaches his peak not just through genetics (age) but through experience and fights that provide significant 'learns'. 27 is still fairly young in boxing terms these days and there's no indication of imminent physical decline on Barker's part. By contrast, I defy anyone to tell me that having a lengthy lay-off followed by one 12-rounder against a fighter well short of world-class is the perfect way for a fighter to peak.... I'm willing to bet even those closest to him would say that if he'd had another two/three bouts at fringe world-level he'd be sharper, more experienced and thus a better fighter i.e. at his peak in terms of hitting the perfect balance between physical development and experience.

Barker is 29.

You're right about activity.

[Deserter]

Barker is 29.

Busted.

[Chambers2]

I reckon Darren causes Martinez problems in the first half of the fight, he's a slippery little fellow, but Martinez will catch up with him sooner or later IMO

[Autobarn]

Lee is like the irish audley. lots of hype, little substance if you watch him on a round by round basis. the late KO of mcewan, saving the day after doing little all night, not too far from audley-sprott. one punch saving his career and his delusional world title aspirations.

i wanted barker to get the shot, but felt that the american promoters and TV would not go with him, because of lack of recognition.

never said it was suicidal - this is another poster.

if barker is really going for martinez, then this leaves lee to gun for chavez jr, in the shadow realm of junior half champs.

Funny that Lee wasn't behind on the cards going into the last round, especially for a fighter that done nothing at all in the bout and already had McEwan on his arse before the last. So much for it being one lucky punch.

But don't let the facts get in the away of your little fantasy, eh!?

he was getting well outworked and was in desperate trouble.

if barker has to pull out with injury, perhaps lee gets to replace him and suffers a haye-audley type of defeat where he fails to even land a punch.

while lee is mulling over whether to throw punches, martinez will spark him!

[Johnny Cucumber]

Darren Barker is no where near ready for this fight !!!!
After being built up properly by another promoter to no. 6 in the world- why the kamikaze attitude taking a voluntary.
Atleast if he was mandatory he would make a lot more money.

The smart move would have been going after one of the other champions because they are nothing special whilst picking up more experience.

Fair play to Darren he's a brave warrior but I fear for him, he needs guidance

[Asterix]

I'm not saying that Darren is favoured to win but if you drew a line under Martinez's career after Cintron then we'd be saying Darren has a chance. The win over Pavlik was great but Kelly had spent a long time on the lash and was mentally shot to bits after being brutalised by Hopkins. Williams is somewhat overrated. Sure, he is a big, a southpaw and that but it if you're fundamentally flawed then those flaws remain no matter how big you are.

Martinez has improved since the Cintron fight, and, actually, in the Cintron fight he proved that he was one of the best light middleweights in the World (with only Paul Williams & Sergiy Dzindziruk able to claim superiority, if I recall correctly).

Barker has a chance now. I don't think I would have liked his chances any more back then. That was before Barker had beaten anyone of note.

[Asterix]

I'm not saying that Darren is favoured to win but if you drew a line under Martinez's career after Cintron then we'd be saying Darren has a chance. The win over Pavlik was great but Kelly had spent a long time on the lash and was mentally shot to bits after being brutalised by Hopkins. Williams is somewhat overrated. Sure, he is a big, a southpaw and that but it if you're fundamentally flawed then those flaws remain no matter how big you are.

Martinez has improved since the Cintron fight, and, actually, in the Cintron fight he proved that he was one of the best light middleweights in the World (with only Paul Williams & Sergiy Dzindziruk able to claim superiority, if I recall correctly).

Barker has a chance now. I don't think I would have liked his chances any more back then. That was before Barker had beaten anyone of note.

He hasn't improved, more a case of raising his game. He is still the same fighter and has the same flaws. Barker has 12 under his belt, a boxing brain and it is crazy to completely write him off.

I've never written him off. All I'm saying is what I've said above.

[Camcas]

I think people are giving Barker no chance, but he does have more of a chance than people are saying, Martinez does get overated a lot because of the Williams fight, don't get me wrong he is a wonderful fighter but hes not unbeatable. Barker is skillfull fighter and i think he will win a few round but hes not going to win

[goldenears]

biggest step up in class by a British boxer since Mick Jennings fought Cotto. Barkers' fought no-one to prepare him for a top 5 p4p fighter.

Can see why he's taking the shot - fighters always want to, look at Mick - he wanted Cotto, Chisora wanted Wlad, and for Matchroom it's a statement of intent, a power move

Eddie Hearn's clearly decided to grow his profile in boxing and become a 'player'. He was surgically attached to Froch in AC and was quite funny when he picked Carl up after the result was announced as you could see Carl look at him as if to say "what are you doing?" and then let it slide as it was his first time - he's making big moves and playing the game, but this might be a gamble too far with Dazzling Darren's career - it's very hard to come back from a smashing before your time.

Ricky Hatton had been through Costa, Castillo and Collazo etc building a huge fanbase, so to lose to floyd he had a base for a return and the box office potential to move straight into other big fights - this is Darren's one and only major shot Imho

[slapbangwhallop]

Lee is like the irish audley. lots of hype, little substance if you watch him on a round by round basis. the late KO of mcewan, saving the day after doing little all night, not too far from audley-sprott. one punch saving his career and his delusional world title aspirations.

i wanted barker to get the shot, but felt that the american promoters and TV would not go with him, because of lack of recognition.

never said it was suicidal - this is another poster.

if barker is really going for martinez, then this leaves lee to gun for chavez jr, in the shadow realm of junior half champs.

Funny that Lee wasn't behind on the cards going into the last round, especially for a fighter that done nothing at all in the bout and already had McEwan on his arse before the last. So much for it being one lucky punch.

But don't let the facts get in the away of your little fantasy, eh!?

he was getting well outworked and was in desperate trouble.

if barker has to pull out with injury, perhaps lee gets to replace him and suffers a haye-audley type of defeat where he fails to even land a punch.

while lee is mulling over whether to throw punches, martinez will spark him!

If thats true then why wasnt he behind on the card BEFORE he went on to spark McEwan out. Climb out of the clouds.

Barker is going the same way that McEwan did I am just gutted that it wasnt Macklin or Lee that got their first so that it would shut up some of the deluded Frazzling Barker cheerleaders on here.

WORD!

[The Lone Wolf]

Mismatch

[potnoodle]

Slapbang.... Grow up. Seriously what is your problem. Don't be so sour about barker. He has a chance to become world champion and all you do is write how Lee and macklin should be there and how they would beat barker. Please all we read is your nonsense about your two Irish buddies, can't you give up and accept that barker is better and going on to better things. Let's hope barker and macklin win so they can have a good old scrap.

Word!

[Samuel Brooks]

Total mismatch

[Josh1111]

I'll probably get slated for this, but i've been studying Martinez's record, and although he has a couple of impressive victories recently, he's not unbeatable. I think Martinez will be massive favourite but this will go to points, no knockout. Martinez will win but only by 3 points.

[Autobarn]

biggest step up in class by a British boxer since Mick Jennings fought Cotto. Barkers' fought no-one to prepare him for a top 5 p4p fighter.

Can see why he's taking the shot - fighters always want to, look at Mick - he wanted Cotto, Chisora wanted Wlad, and for Matchroom it's a statement of intent, a power move

Eddie Hearn's clearly decided to grow his profile in boxing and become a 'player'. He was surgically attached to Froch in AC and was quite funny when he picked Carl up after the result was announced as you could see Carl look at him as if to say "what are you doing?" and then let it slide as it was his first time - he's making big moves and playing the game, but this might be a gamble too far with Dazzling Darren's career - it's very hard to come back from a smashing before your time.

Ricky Hatton had been through Costa, Castillo and Collazo etc building a huge fanbase, so to lose to floyd he had a base for a return and the box office potential to move straight into other big fights - this is Darren's one and only major shot Imho

agreed on the step up. my biggest misgiving is that barker is not coming off an elim win, something that would somehow prepare him, or at least bridge the gap between euro and elite world class.

obviously, mitchell, munroe and rhodes won elims (or elim-type bouts) before their big opportunities. whereas lockett & jennings had nothing to remotely prepare them.

[Autobarn]

martinez took on the best of london, in the middle divisions (light middle), in richard williams. now he is doing the same at 160-pounds, interestingly, with barker.

i hope barker doesn't get injured. i bet they have andy lee on standby in case barker is pulled out.

eddie hearn has 2 fighters stepping up to the biggest stage - froch with super 6 final / WBC/WBA unification vs andre ward, and barker vs one of the p4p best, martinez.

slapbang - lee has been a terrible letdown and barely did anything between the first and last round, vs mcewan. that, combined with the fact that he pulled it out late (audley-sprott style) with a big punch, has made me consider lee the audley or irish boxing.

[Deserter]

I'll probably get slated for this, but i've been studying Martinez's record, and although he has a couple of impressive victories recently, he's not unbeatable. I think Martinez will be massive favourite but this will go to points, no knockout. Martinez will win but only by 3 points.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I do think Martinez will stop Barker through his workrate and the resulting attritional effect of the punches Barker will have to soak up. Can see it Barker being pulled out around the 8th.

[slapbangwhallop]

slapbang - lee has been a terrible letdown and barely did anything between the first and last round, vs mcewan. that, combined with the fact that he pulled it out late (audley-sprott style) with a big punch, has made me consider lee the audley or irish boxing.

Apart from putting McEwan on his ass?? If thats what you consider nothing then fair enough.

Lee looked shocking in parts during the fight and he heavy hands and McEwans lack of stamina was his saving grace. I was critical of Lee after the fight and I would be saying the same thing I am about Barker if Lee took the fight with Martinez (although not as harshly) because he would get smashed as well.

But I think you are being overly harsh on Lee here, no surprise because this forum is full of Barker's pom-pom wielding loons, but if you are going to have a pop at him at least get your facts straight. Lee won the first, McEwan won 2-6 and Lee won the rest.

If you want to accuse me of bias then fair enough, that tripe doesnt stand up to the facts though, and if you want to hear my really opinion of the Lee-McEwan fight skip to 4.30 of this YouTube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEDzBHbZxqY

[Asterix]

I'll probably get slated for this, but i've been studying Martinez's record, and although he has a couple of impressive victories recently, he's not unbeatable. I think Martinez will be massive favourite but this will go to points, no knockout. Martinez will win but only by 3 points.

Forget his record (which unfortunately does not have him beating Cintron by TKO, which it should). Watch him fight. He is awesome.

[Autobarn]

slapbang - lee has been a terrible letdown and barely did anything between the first and last round, vs mcewan. that, combined with the fact that he pulled it out late (audley-sprott style) with a big punch, has made me consider lee the audley or irish boxing.

Apart from putting McEwan on his ass?? If thats what you consider nothing then fair enough.

Lee looked shocking in parts during the fight and he heavy hands and McEwans lack of stamina was his saving grace. I was critical of Lee after the fight and I would be saying the same thing I am about Barker if Lee took the fight with Martinez (although not as harshly) because he would get smashed as well.

But I think you are being overly harsh on Lee here, no surprise because this forum is full of Barker's pom-pom wielding loons, but if you are going to have a pop at him at least get your facts straight. Lee won the first, McEwan won 2-6 and Lee won the rest.

If you want to accuse me of bias then fair enough, that tripe doesnt stand up to the facts though, and if you want to hear my really opinion of the Lee-McEwan fight skip to 4.30 of this YouTube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEDzBHbZxqY

if andy lee had looked impressive, he'd be the one facing martinez, and not barker.

i actually bet that lee will be martinez's next opponent after barker - IF he dominates, and stops, bunema on the undercard. there does seem to be a demand for irish fighters, especially in the middleweight division. lee seems to fight with a lot of doubts, as does audley harrison.

i'm not a barker cheerleader, nor am i a rendall munroe obsessive as i have been accused by irish posters: my fave 2 fighters are actuually martinez (who should stop barker) and toshiaki nishioka (who outclassed munroe).

[Autobarn]

interestingly it was barry hearn who brought martinez to these shores, where the argentinean started to raise his game (look at the improvement between the 2 richard williams fights).

as jeff goldblum says to larry fishburne in the terrific thriller, DEEP COVER: "what kind of monster have i created?"

what can the son, eddie, do about it?

seems like martinez's ppl went for barker, as opposed to WBO champ pirog, because of money from sky sports. i hope pirog comes back to america, stops another known fighter (as with daniel jacobs) and gets a crack at martinez. he seems the only qualified fighter to really do so but he took his title to russia and his first defense of the title was supposed to be very unimpressive.

hoping cuba's erislandy lara beats paul williams on HBO later this year. that would be another interesting opponent for martinez, though i doubt a cuban will get him the ratings or the profile or purses that he wants.

[BillyTKid]

I think if Barker can at least go in the latter rounds there isn't a great deal of downside to this fight. If he losses to Martinez I believe it will raise his profile and he get bigger fights as a result. No point sitting on the sidelines waiting for a title shot that might never come. If he losses and Macklin get beats by Sturm then I reckon they fight each other and the winner probably qualifies for a shot at a different title and the public will be aware of their stories.

[slapbangwhallop]

slapbang - lee has been a terrible letdown and barely did anything between the first and last round, vs mcewan. that, combined with the fact that he pulled it out late (audley-sprott style) with a big punch, has made me consider lee the audley or irish boxing.

Apart from putting McEwan on his ass?? If thats what you consider nothing then fair enough.

Lee looked shocking in parts during the fight and he heavy hands and McEwans lack of stamina was his saving grace. I was critical of Lee after the fight and I would be saying the same thing I am about Barker if Lee took the fight with Martinez (although not as harshly) because he would get smashed as well.

But I think you are being overly harsh on Lee here, no surprise because this forum is full of Barker's pom-pom wielding loons, but if you are going to have a pop at him at least get your facts straight. Lee won the first, McEwan won 2-6 and Lee won the rest.

If you want to accuse me of bias then fair enough, that tripe doesnt stand up to the facts though, and if you want to hear my really opinion of the Lee-McEwan fight skip to 4.30 of this YouTube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEDzBHbZxqY

if andy lee had looked impressive, he'd be the one facing martinez, and not barker.

i actually bet that lee will be martinez's next opponent after barker - IF he dominates, and stops, bunema on the undercard. there does seem to be a demand for irish fighters, especially in the middleweight division. lee seems to fight with a lot of doubts, as does audley harrison.

i'm not a barker cheerleader, nor am i a rendall munroe obsessive as i have been accused by irish posters: my fave 2 fighters are actuually martinez (who should stop barker) and toshiaki nishioka (who outclassed munroe).

Lee impressed HBO, they liked what they saw and wanted him back.

He was offered the fight before Barker - no one in the States has ever heard of Barker before - but Lee turned it down because he isnt ready. He was right to do so. Maybe with his age and injuries Barker feels its the right time to cash out but Lee has a little more time than that.

[johnswan1]

Lee is set to fight on the undercard, probably in a rematch with Vera.

Apparently Eddie Hearn has told DiBella that Barker will take more fans to the States than Froch or Khan did. I'm not sure there's much truth in that but Martinez has not been a ticket seller in the past so I can see the attraction if they're buying that.

The fight goes to HBO today for approval but DeBella says it will go ahead regardless as they can't stall his career while they're waiting around for HBO dates and opponents willing to fight.