Darren Barker talks about his new book, ‘A Dazzling Darkness’

[palooka]

Barker doesn't seem to have a 'dark side' to him and I imagine the book would be a little tepid, kind of like a Richie Woodhall biography; seems a very decent man but not a lot of interesting times. Hope I'm wrong.

[orbtastic]

More often than not, these "character" types can't actually write or their ghost writers can't either, or huge swathes get cut due to legal reasons.

Billy Walker's should have been a great read but it just ended up page after page of "I met this blonde girl, she was a smasher and we 'ad a few drinks".

Magri's had no huge tales of adventure but was actually one of the better boxing biographies I've read in recent years. Same with Nelson and Roche's.

Likewise Tapia, everyone usually says it's the best autobiography they've read but it's terrible. Yeah he had a crazy life but he manages to turn it into chapter after chapter of self absorption and blame apportioning and basically him getting fcked up. It's also not particularly well written.

[palooka]

The best I've ever read are Corner Men and Babyface in Hollywood.

[Boxerbeetle]

Time for the obligatory mention of Meldrick Taylor's autobiography

[orbtastic]

It might be time to dust it off and transcribe some choice passages!

[handsofstone]

It might be time to dust it off and transcribe some choice passages!

[orbtastic]

Just in time for Christmas...

I'm moving books around the house and came across it again the other day after misplacing it.

[palooka]

Time for the obligatory mention of Meldrick Taylor's autobiography

[olij999]

It might be time to dust it off and transcribe some choice passages!

It is truly a book that just keeps giving.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Yes, read that one, great book, along with 'This bloody Mary is the last thing I own.'

[jamesmcdonnell]

More often than not, these "character" types can't actually write or their ghost writers can't either, or huge swathes get cut due to legal reasons.

Billy Walker's should have been a great read but it just ended up page after page of "I met this blonde girl, she was a smasher and we 'ad a few drinks".

Magri's had no huge tales of adventure but was actually one of the better boxing biographies I've read in recent years. Same with Nelson and Roche's.

Likewise Tapia, everyone usually says it's the best autobiography they've read but it's terrible. Yeah he had a crazy life but he manages to turn it into chapter after chapter of self absorption and blame apportioning and basically him getting fcked up. It's also not particularly well written.

Cheers, the Magri one was my handiwork, there was more stuff that we couldn't use for legal reasons. Shame, but that's how it is in this country, the risks of getting dragged into courts and bankrupted are too high.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Time for the obligatory mention of Meldrick Taylor's autobiography

I've seen a few choice passages on here. It's a bit like the Literary equivalent of Google's deep dream software.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

honestly a book from Barker is a bit crazy
sad his bro died , but his in and out of ring accomplishments do not warrant a book certainly

You should deliver that opinion in person........I'll bet my life you won't big ticker

[scrap iron]

honestly a book from Barker is a bit crazy
sad his bro died , but his in and out of ring accomplishments do not warrant a book certainly

I think his heroics outside of the ring when he was attacked by 12 yobs and left for dead after trying to stop a fight needs a mention. He was left with career threatening injuries and I'm sure he never fully recovered from that attack (mentally or physically). He did something that 99.9% of us would not be brave enough to do, single handedly taking on 12 yobs to save someone. I have more respect for Darren than I do for pretty much any other British boxer.

Nice to stick up for him there ... I thought it was only half that number that he got done in by - no doubt there'll have been blows coming in from behind him at the same time as from the front, sides etc.. I never read anything about a prosecution for this, so it's disappointing if they got away with it. As a general rule though, I think it highly unlikely that up to 12 lads could all keep their mouths shut - especially cowardly scum like this.
I'd have actually backed Darren to take out half a dozen, I remember being a little bit surprised and obviously sorry for him when I heard about it.

It's a shame how injury seemed to scupper him, but he won that world title and if I remember correctly he got absolutely crumpled by a body shot and honestly thought he wasn't going to be able to get up, on foreign soil as well. Good on him

I think at least three of Darren's attackers were caught and had successful criminal prosecutions against them. I agree that Darren's story outside of the ropes will probably make a better read then a lot of achievements inside them. His victory over Daniel Geale was without doubt his finest moment as a boxer and deserves to be praised. However if you take the Geale victory out of CV then his career starts to look average. Yes, he won the European middleweight title twice (I was at both fights), but they were against Affif Belghecham and Domenico Spada who were both average international imports. It's also a shame Darren wasn't involved in any big domestic showdowns. In 2009 he was due to take on Wayne Elcock for the British title, but Elcock pulled out injured a few days before and the fight was never rescheduled. Again in 2010 he was due to fight Matthew Macklin at the Birmingham NEC for the European title and thousands of tickets were sold (comparisons to Benn v Eubank were being mentioned), but this time it was Darren who pulled out injured and again the fight was never rescheduled. I have seen nearly all of Darren's fights, but if you take the Geale victory away, then his next best performance inside a boxing ring was probably his win over Darren McDermott at the Watford Colosseum way back in 2009.

I am a Darren Barker and have followed his career since he won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002. I've been to many of his fights and I will almost certainly be buying his book, but I do wish as a fan we had a little bit more to cheer about the just the Geale victory. If it wasn't for injuries and horrible bad luck Darren Barker could have been so much more.

[palooka]

I think his heroics outside of the ring when he was attacked by 12 yobs and left for dead after trying to stop a fight needs a mention. He was left with career threatening injuries and I'm sure he never fully recovered from that attack (mentally or physically). He did something that 99.9% of us would not be brave enough to do, single handedly taking on 12 yobs to save someone. I have more respect for Darren than I do for pretty much any other British boxer.[/quote]

Nice to stick up for him there ... I thought it was only half that number that he got done in by - no doubt there'll have been blows coming in from behind him at the same time as from the front, sides etc.. I never read anything about a prosecution for this, so it's disappointing if they got away with it. As a general rule though, I think it highly unlikely that up to 12 lads could all keep their mouths shut - especially cowardly scum like this.
I'd have actually backed Darren to take out half a dozen, I remember being a little bit surprised and obviously sorry for him when I heard about it.

It's a shame how injury seemed to scupper him, but he won that world title and if I remember correctly he got absolutely crumpled by a body shot and honestly thought he wasn't going to be able to get up, on foreign soil as well. Good on him [/quote]


I think at least three of Darren's attackers were caught and had successful criminal prosecutions against them. I agree that Darren's story outside of the ropes will probably make a better read then a lot of achievements inside them. His victory over Daniel Geale was without doubt his finest moment as a boxer and deserves to be praised. However if you take the Geale victory out of CV then his career starts to look average. Yes, he won the European middleweight title twice (I was at both fights), but they were against Affif Belghecham and Domenico Spada who were both average international imports. It's also a shame Darren wasn't involved in any big domestic showdowns. In 2009 he was due to take on Wayne Elcock for the British title, but Elcock pulled out injured a few days before and the fight was never rescheduled. Again in 2010 he was due to fight Matthew Macklin at the Birmingham NEC for the European title and thousands of tickets were sold (comparisons to Benn v Eubank were being mentioned), but this time it was Darren who pulled out injured and again the fight was never rescheduled. I have seen nearly all of Darren's fights, but if you take the Geale victory away, then his next best performance inside a boxing ring was probably his win over Darren McDermott at the Watford Colosseum way back in 2009.

I am a Darren Barker and have followed his career since he won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002. I've been to many of his fights and I will almost certainly be buying his book, but I do wish as a fan we had a little bit more to cheer about the just the Geale victory. If it wasn't for injuries and horrible bad luck Darren Barker could have been so much more.[/quote]

Nice post, Scrap I'm still waiting for you to write the Paul Ryan biography - that would sell.

[mickey1975]

I thought Howard was just 'scrap'. Not seen him on here for a while.

[palooka]

I thought Howard was just 'scrap'. Not seen him on here for a while.

You're probably right, Mick - he used to post some good stuff, a very intelligent trainer.

[samwbr]

Yes, read that one, great book, along with 'This bloody Mary is the last thing I own.'

Jonathan Rendall was a fantastic writer, such a shame how his life turned out.

[Eddy]

I've been told allegedly is doing his book which I have always thought would be a great read. Whether you like Warren or not he don't pull no punches, and if he lets it go in the biography I think it could be enteraining. He is self made what with his earler shows with his cuz Lenny. Plus all the fall outs with his fighters, being shot and the stuff with Tyson ect.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I've been told allegedly is doing his book which I have always thought would be a great read. Whether you like Warren or not he don't pull no punches, and if he lets it go in the biography I think it could be enteraining. He is self made what with his earler shows with his cuz Lenny. Plus all the fall outs with his fighters, being shot and the stuff with Tyson ect.

He won't be able to, for fear of litigation. He knows better than anyone the perils of defamatory statements in this country.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Yes, read that one, great book, along with 'This bloody Mary is the last thing I own.'

Jonathan Rendall was a fantastic writer, such a shame how his life turned out.

What happened to him?

Another great book is 'dark trade' a real low-down on the seamy underbelly of the boxing business.

[Boxerbeetle]

Yes, read that one, great book, along with 'This bloody Mary is the last thing I own.'

Jonathan Rendall was a fantastic writer, such a shame how his life turned out.

What happened to him?

Another great book is 'dark trade' a real low-down on the seamy underbelly of the boxing business.

I think Rendall was a gambler & a heavy drinker, he was found dead in his flat when he was only 40-ish. I really enjoyed his Tyson book, well worth a read.

[jamesmcdonnell]

[/quote]

I think Rendall was a gambler & a heavy drinker, he was found dead in his flat when he was only 40-ish. I really enjoyed his Tyson book, well worth a read.[/quote]

Hang on, I thought the Tyson book remained unfinished?

Was just reading about him - sad end, truly gifted writer. I'd love to write another boxing book, but quite what on, I just don't know. I had an idea for a biography, but not sure if that's really what I want to do - I do still love boxing, but from afar these days, but I'm feeling itchy to write about it again lately.

[Boxerbeetle]

Hang on, I thought the Tyson book remained unfinished?

Was just reading about him - sad end, truly gifted writer. I'd love to write another boxing book, but quite what on, I just don't know. I had an idea for a biography, but not sure if that's really what I want to do - I do still love boxing, but from afar these days, but I'm feeling itchy to write about it again lately.

I believe it was unfinished but patched together using his notes. It's understandably short, but certainly enjoyable and really gets into Tyson's head. Amazon sell it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scream-Tyson-Ta ... 1780722214

Don McRae has recently released a biography of Emile Griffith which I've not read yet but hoping to get as a Christmas present !

[samwbr]

Yes, read that one, great book, along with 'This bloody Mary is the last thing I own.'

Jonathan Rendall was a fantastic writer, such a shame how his life turned out.

What happened to him?

Another great book is 'dark trade' a real low-down on the seamy underbelly of the boxing business.

It is, its one of the best books of any sort I've read,not just boxing or sport generally.