BoxRec

Just been dossing around on ladbrokes online and noticed Froch is 2/1 to beat Ward and Barker is 8/1 to beat Martinez.
I'll definately be backing froch, as for barker I think he'll lose but at 8/1 it's got to be worth chucking a couple of quid on.
What do you reckon? Either man got a chance or is it Ward Martinez all the way?

Froch has a good chance.

Barker doesn't have a good chance and I would be shocked if he won.

Andypittcov wrote:Just been dossing around on ladbrokes online and noticed Froch is 2/1 to beat Ward and Barker is 8/1 to beat Martinez.
I'll definately be backing froch, as for barker I think he'll lose but at 8/1 it's got to be worth chucking a couple of quid on.
What do you reckon? Either man got a chance or is it Ward Martinez all the way?

Barker is 10/1 on Bet365. That's a huge price. I think Froch has a very good chance and al be backing him at 2/1

DougieC30 wrote:

Andypittcov wrote:Just been dossing around on ladbrokes online and noticed Froch is 2/1 to beat Ward and Barker is 8/1 to beat Martinez.
I'll definately be backing froch, as for barker I think he'll lose but at 8/1 it's got to be worth chucking a couple of quid on.
What do you reckon? Either man got a chance or is it Ward Martinez all the way?

Barker is 10/1 on Bet365. That's a huge price. I think Froch has a very good chance and al be backing him at 2/1

Nice one

10/1 is cracking value.

As much as I like Darren Barker, I think he is going to get eaten alive by Sergio Martinez, who is far too experienced and quick for Barker and I reckon Martinez will probably stop Barker in the later rounds. As for Carl Froch with his fight with Andre Ward in the Super Six Final. It is a pick em fight when you look at itand I reckon Froch will beat Ward on points in that one.

6 months ago I wouldn't have given Barker much chance either.

But since his hip op has remedied his fitness problem, he seem's back on it.

Martinez is a great fighter. But looking at the form line of his best recent wins like Cintron, Williams and Pavlik - you could see that their best days certainly were behind them at that point. All have been woeful in the last 12 months.

Barker has a lot to do - but I dont forecast his chances as being 5-10% as some bookies make him. His chances are much better - especially given that Martinez cannot help but under estimate him too, given the way the American's have written Barker off.

G0mez wrote:6 months ago I wouldn't have given Barker much chance either.

But since his hip op has remedied his fitness problem, he seem's back on it.

Martinez is a great fighter. But looking at the form line of his best recent wins like Cintron, Williams and Pavlik - you could see that their best days certainly were behind them at that point. All have been woeful in the last 12 months.

Barker has a lot to do - but I dont forecast his chances as being 5-10% as some bookies make him. His chances are much better - especially given that Martinez cannot help but under estimate him too, given the way the American's have written Barker off.

What do you think his chances are percentage wise?

I think both prices are about right.

Froch will have a tough time getting a decision in the US and I just can't see him stopping Ward who has never shown any chin vulnerabilities. Much as I'd love Froch to win, I see a Ward points win.

Barker has almost no chance in my view. Martinez is top 5 pound for pound and is just in a different league. I can see a one-sided beatdown and a mid-round stoppage for Martinez.

crusader wrote:
What do you think his chances are percentage wise?

I see his chances around the 35-40% mark personally based on a couple of factors.

Barker is a very technical boxer who looks for openings and has quick hands to find holes and counter. Martinez has often been sporadic during fights with better opposition and the Dzinziruk fight was flattering.

Martinez is very good and I'm not letting my heart rule my head, but for all his occasional southpaw brilliance, he has often gone AWOL during some rounds, like he fights off the seat of his pants rather than stick to a genuine gameplan.

Dzinziruk would have been beaten by most fighters in no time. Whilst he was unbeaten he was a slim 154lb fighter with zero experience beyond a close 12 rounder with Joel Julio. Also Dzin hadn't fought properly for 3 years due to promotional disputes.

I forecast they think the same of Darren Barker, this tall European-style upright fighter with an unbeaten record who has been inactive lately.

But Barker has always sparred bigger men. A regular in Froch camps, he has also gone over for Kessler's camps and was sparring Degale too for a spell the other month, who is also a southpaw like Martinez. So Barker is used to stronger men.

The only thing Barker has to do is let his boxing do the talking. He's got to remain on the move, darting in and out and to forget standing his ground with his guard up. He needs to get his shots off and on his bike, in and out. Never static and looking out for Martinez's left that he often bowls over. The main thing is not to appear negative to the viewers.

If Barker was bringing a couple of world titles along with him, Martinez would be bringing his A game, but as it stands they have one eye on the others in the division and make no apology for it either. And that is what gives Barker such a great chance.

G0mez wrote:

crusader wrote:
What do you think his chances are percentage wise?

I see his chances around the 35-40% mark personally based on a couple of factors.

Barker is a very technical boxer who looks for openings and has quick hands to find holes and counter. Martinez has often been sporadic during fights with better opposition and the Dzinziruk fight was flattering.

Martinez is very good and I'm not letting my heart rule my head, but for all his occasional southpaw brilliance, he has often gone AWOL during some rounds, like he fights off the seat of his pants rather than stick to a genuine gameplan.

Dzinziruk would have been beaten by most fighters in no time. Whilst he was unbeaten he was a slim 154lb fighter with zero experience beyond a close 12 rounder with Joel Julio. Also Dzin hadn't fought properly for 3 years due to promotional disputes.

I forecast they think the same of Darren Barker, this tall European-style upright fighter with an unbeaten record who has been inactive lately.

But Barker has always sparred bigger men. A regular in Froch camps, he has also gone over for Kessler's camps and was sparring Degale too for a spell the other month, who is also a southpaw like Martinez. So Barker is used to stronger men.

The only thing Barker has to do is let his boxing do the talking. He's got to remain on the move, darting in and out and to forget standing his ground with his guard up. He needs to get his shots off and on his bike, in and out. Never static and looking out for Martinez's left that he often bowls over. The main thing is not to appear negative to the viewers.

If Barker was bringing a couple of world titles along with him, Martinez would be bringing his A game, but as it stands they have one eye on the others in the division and make no apology for it either. And that is what gives Barker such a great chance.

seriously, when i read threads, on topics that i have mad emy mind up then someone gives me something else to think about.

very good and valid points above.

martinez and dzindziruk, are two of my favourite boxers amongst pirog and few others, so i have watched these guys extensively.

i beleive barker fundamentals much like dzindziruk, are good and anyone with god fundamentals will give martinez a good fight.
footwork,, barker has better than dzindziruk, so this will allow him to close martinez down better, but also get out of danger better than dzindziruk did.

however, dzindziruk is a master of distance and this helps his defence, i beleive barker defense is not as good as dzindziruks, so he will get hit more often with martinez big punches and this is the reson i see a stoppage.

that being said if barker keeps it simple and makes it boring like cintron did against martinezx and especially in the later rounds he can hit martinez a lot whom gets hit often but barkers power as well am not sure about yet which wold have helped his cause here.

very good fight that will be entertaining, that i see going similar distance or slightly less than the dzindziruk fight..
and martinez getting hit alot more also..

Although I think Martinez will beat Barker I think sound arguements have been made that he could be overpriced.

Just have a look at odds before you make a punt.

At SportingBet Barker is 12/1 and Froch is 9/4 with them as a couple of others.

As a refence use the Ladbrokes prices quoted above - 2/1 and 8/1

A £1 double on both these results coming in would pay £27, not bad!

But at Sporting Odds the same £1 double equates to £42.25, quite a difference.

Crazy looking back now but I believe Richard Williams was a big favourite over Martinez the first time they fought. I reckon Barker has more success than some bargained for but ultimately gets stopped. I agree 10/1 is too wide: Martinez is a helluva boxer but he isn't unbeatable. I'll probably be having some of that 10/1! Come one Barker!

I hope to high heaven Froch beats Ward. Patriotic bias aside, I really, really, REALLY don't want Sir Headbutt McClinch to be king of 168lbs.

SteveDow wrote:I think both prices are about right.

Froch will have a tough time getting a decision in the US and I just can't see him stopping Ward who has never shown any chin vulnerabilities. Much as I'd love Froch to win, I see a Ward points win.

Barker has almost no chance in my view. Martinez is top 5 pound for pound and is just in a different league. I can see a one-sided beatdown and a mid-round stoppage for Martinez.

Not completely sure but was looking at an article I wrote for the Miranda/Ward fight and I commented that Wardhad been down from Darnell Boone and looked in a fair amount of trouble against Kenny Kost before coming back well and winning convincingly against both. Admittedly these were a long time ago and he is a different fighter now but thought it was worth pointing out what some may consider a couple of frailties early in his career.

littlekinny wrote:

SteveDow wrote:I think both prices are about right.

Froch will have a tough time getting a decision in the US and I just can't see him stopping Ward who has never shown any chin vulnerabilities. Much as I'd love Froch to win, I see a Ward points win.

Barker has almost no chance in my view. Martinez is top 5 pound for pound and is just in a different league. I can see a one-sided beatdown and a mid-round stoppage for Martinez.

Not completely sure but was looking at an article I wrote for the Miranda/Ward fight and I commented that Wardhad been down from Darnell Boone and looked in a fair amount of trouble against Kenny Kost before coming back well and winning convincingly against both. Admittedly these were a long time ago and he is a different fighter now but thought it was worth pointing out what some may consider a couple of frailties early in his career.

Also I think those bouts where he was rocked were at middleweight where he was struggling with the weight (bare in mind he won Olympic gold at light heavyweight). Since moving to 168lbs his chin has looked okay but then again to his credit, he doesn't take many clean shots to the head.

black panther wrote:
Also I think those bouts where he was rocked were at middleweight where he was struggling with the weight (bare in mind he won Olympic gold at light heavyweight). Since moving to 168lbs his chin has looked okay but then again to his credit, he doesn't take many clean shots to the head.

Light heavyweight class in the amateurs starts at 165lb.