Eddie Hearn getting a lot of love isn't he ?

[MightyWarrior]

Glowing tributes in the press for handsome Eddie lately, rave revues over his poaching of a couple of unbeaten stars who already had world ratings.

Yet was it such a brilliant move to sign up Darren Barker for Martinez ? Hennessey must be fuming I'd have thought, over all the credit Hearn is getting for that. Because with a world rating, I doubt it was too hard to make the fight. He builds up Darren's record, then Eddie moves in and goes straight for the money shot.

There's not going to be a lot of opponents lining up to get battered by Martinez, so I imagine the management were glad to get the call. I doubt Darren is getting much cash as a 25-1 under dog is he.

In other words, Hennessey could have done exactly the same thing.....but would he have ? Maybe not, in the interest of preserving his man's career ?

Because Martinez is a completely different level here. Anyone who smashes the formidable Paul Williams in 2 rounds, then makes an unbeaten world class fighter like Serhiy Dzinziruk look out of his depth, is performing on a completely different level.

Let's be realistic here, Darren is going to be in big trouble as soon as Martinez connects, and it could be the type of shattering defeat it's hard to come back from.

[Final round]

Completely agree Re Martinez Darren is a brave man but he's out of his depth and Matchroom were a bit happy go lucky wanting to put him in with the champ. I don't think Mick H would have jumped in feet first on that one.

[Jeff Thomas]

Eddie could easily have took a less challenging route for Darren, but come on- this is THE middleweight championship of the world he is fighting for.... Darrens a big underdog- but so what if he's good enough he'll win it, and if not he's done a great thing in challenging himself at the highest level. I actually think Darren might do OK for a few rounds.

This type of matchmaking should be applauded, not critisised... What would you guys prefer, he get beat by some unknown import having taken his eye off the ball.

My thoughts are if your good enough, then do it- if your not that give it a go, better to live in reality rather then worry about the what could have beens like countless other fighters who've not made the moves when they had the chance.

[JimJim2009]

When Barker gets hammered, Hearn will be about as upset as Frxxk was when Murray got smashed to bits by Kevin Mitchell.

Far easier to be a brave match-maker when you've not spent five years building the lad up to an impressive unbeaten run, a high world ranking, and multiple titles along the way.

[MightyWarrior]

Eddie could easily have took a less challenging route for Darren

Yes, but I get the impression this "bold move" is more about Eddie's ego, and less about his boxer's career. Darren could have had a couple of local grudge matches, maybe a world title eliminator or two ( and you know, fought a couple of world class opponents first ) build up a following, let Martinez get a bit older, then go for a shot over here, where the odds would be a bit more in his boxers favour.

[jameswilson]

It's an absolute outrage that someone is getting praise isn't it.

[Final round]

Eddie could easily have took a less challenging route for Darren, but come on- this is THE middleweight championship of the world he is fighting for.... Darrens a big underdog- but so what if he's good enough he'll win it, and if not he's done a great thing in challenging himself at the highest level. I actually think Darren might do OK for a few rounds.

This type of matchmaking should be applauded, not critisised... What would you guys prefer, he get beat by some unknown import having taken his eye off the ball.

My thoughts are if your good enough, then do it- if your not that give it a go, better to live in reality rather then worry about the what could have beens like countless other fighters who've not made the moves when they had the chance.

Jeff yes Darren's bravery and willingness to fight the best should be applauded but he's not fought at anywhere near the level of Martinez. He should take a step up into world level of course

[MightyWarrior]

It's an absolute outrage that someone is getting praise isn't it.

Well, yes, unless it's me, in which case it would be completely justified.

But seriously, all Ed's done is throw money at a couple of the UK's top fighters and grabbed them after all the hard work been's done. Then makes a flash novice move and throws his man straight to the wolves.

[DavidPayne]

Is Martinez that good or has he just dropped for a run of good results against over-rated opponents.

[SAPFO]

Lets hope he puts in a performance like Macklin did as a major underdog. Then after, when both Macklin & Barker have tasted the top level, let them top a big homecoming bill in the UK to find out who is the best. Don't forget Smigga is down there these days too so there is more good scraps at MW for us to enjoy.

[Jeff Thomas]

Lets hope he puts in a performance like Macklin did as a major underdog. Then after, when both Macklin & Barker have tasted the top level, let them top a big homecoming bill in the UK to find out who is the best. Don't forget Smigga is down there these days too so there is more good scraps at MW for us to enjoy.

Sounds promising but I feel macklin is going to dissapear for a while now. Some fighter is Macklin but I still find it odd that he captured the imagination of Lou di Bella - they must have something under their hat? Doubt very much its a homecoming with Barker.

Who knows maybe there is something going on with the ageing Martinez and DiBella has pulled a masterstroke by signing the rival of his next title challenger? strange one.

[Deserter]

Is Martinez that good or has he just dropped for a run of good results against over-rated opponents.

Martinez is that good. Unfortunately Barker will show us that.

[hurlock]

hearns is close to simms & they know what is best for barker. there is no way simms would send him to the lions.

ideally i think barker could hang on, but i think he still massively struggles with his tragic loss of his brother & goes off the boil every now & then.

also martinez aint no spring chicken & i think it has been more to do with freshness against the possibly shopworn opponents he's faced & his team are really underestimating barker.

barker has tremendous mental strength & belief which most fans dont know about & can outbox martinez.

[bfchunk]

Aside from all the good work they have done, lets not forget Matchroom don't exactly have clean hands when it comes to Haye-Harrison.

[NazNaci1]

Boxing is about fighting the best. At 29, how much longer is Barker going to have to hang about, fighting a few more 'ticking' over fights?

Or worse yet, some bogus title against some guy whose natural weight was below that of MW?

Or fighting eliminators etc...vs 3 day subs?

No point in any of that. fight the best and even if you lose, you know what its about and what it takes.

We have becomed too accustomed to fighters and their promoter / managers looking to pick and choose their moments and then declare what great fighters they have.

Hearn deserves credit, along with Feron, for looking to test their fighters. Why is that wrong? They are boxers. They fight.

[Deserter]

They are boxers. They fight.

While no-one is a fan of over-protected fighters, it's not as simple as swinging to the other extreme. Barker would have had a better chance of success if he'd had fights that would prepare him better for this challenge, surely that's beyond dispute? The wrong fight at the wrong time can wreck a career, we've all seen examples of that, while by contrast clever match-making can maximise the chance of success. I always think back to the way McGuigan was matched, with that tough fight against Juan Laporte acting as the perfect prep for his challenge to Pedroza.

[Gray-Fox]

Martinez is almost certainly that good.

[Sid-the-hat]

The problem is Darren has done nothing to suggest he is good enough to fight the best in the division. The crying shame is there were 4 very good English/Irish fighters in Barker/Macklin/Lee/Duddy and none of them fought because of obsession with risk/reward. If Barker had fought and beat 2 of these guys and another world class opponent confidence in him stepping up against Martinez possibly stepping up could be justified. At least Macklin had the experience of Rhodes fight. Please no talk of Honeyghan-Curry. Look at the opponents Honeyghan had before he stepped up to fight the best in the division. As it is, he's gonna be way out of his depth and KO'd in first half of fight like Holligan/Lockett/Jennings.

[Darcy Delaney]

didn't barker (when signing the contracts) say that if this fight can be made thats the only fight he wanted ??

[dbflex]

The Eddie Hearn backlash - I'm only surprised it's taken so long. The constant approbation foisted upon the man was always going to lead to this but I take a balanced view. By signing Barker, Brook, Froch and soon Groves, Hearn is in part capitalising on other promoters' hard graft. But he has already achieved some notable things with them - getting Ward out of California for the Froch fight, staging Brook's sold-out homecoming (he'd never headlined in Sheffield before and was not perceived as a ticket-seller) and securing the Martinez fight for Barker, which I'll come to shortly. The poaching itself was also conducted with no little intelligence - Broom aside, finding a temporary home for Hennessy's fighters while Mick struggled positioned Matchroom as big favourites to capture them when their contracts ended - there was already a relationship established. Cunning? Yes. Lucky? No. Also signing several big names over a short time period and holding Monday's big bbq/presser has procured great exposure which will in theory lead to bigger tv ratings and ticket sales.

As for Barker, I think most of us would like to have seen him gradually build up to Martinez's level before this chance. But Darren has been lusting after a Martinez fight for at least three years (on record) well before most people had even heard of Nice Guy Eddie. He believes - and you all have the right to think him deluded - that Sergio's style suits him and insists he has always had a knack of dealing with classy southpaws. It was a fight Darren demanded of Hearn - should it ever be offered - when he signed and while the fight was always going to be abroad, Eddie has negotiated a good purse for his man, secured the UK TV rights and helped to convince HBO that Darren is a worthy challenger which, judging by the consensus on here, will have been no easy task. Barker is 29 and is taking on the pound for pound no. 3 in a match he sincerely believes he can win. He could take a career-shortening beating, yes, but, much like Matt Hatton v Saul Alvarez, the expectations are so low (especially in America) he will gain from anything better than an average showing. And regarding a queue to take on Martinez, I would be willing to wager that among fighters around Barker's level there are quite a few guys, especially fast approaching 30, who would jump at the chance.

I'm not sold on Eddie -the sharp suits and slick patter seem to annoy me irrationally - but he has not done much wrong thus far. Give him six months and then perhaps the real backlash will begin but it's good to see someone - anyone - shaking the sport up and creating a welcome buzz.

[JC]

Eddie could easily have took a less challenging route for Darren

Yes, but I get the impression this "bold move" is more about Eddie's ego, and less about his boxer's career. Darren could have had a couple of local grudge matches, maybe a world title eliminator or two ( and you know, fought a couple of world class opponents first ) build up a following, let Martinez get a bit older, then go for a shot over here, where the odds would be a bit more in his boxers favour.

To be fair Hearn has always said it was Barker pushing for the fight with Martinez rather than it being a bold move on his part. I was surprised when they took the fight, but then Barker has had injury problems in the past so maybe they feel the need to take a shot at all the marbles sooner rather than later. If the loses to Martinez hopefully he can still come again.

[whiskey]

The move to Hearn from Hennessy was lead by Tony Simms for the most part. He knows the shelf-life of a fighter and the importance of fighting on a marquee sports channel. Whilst they were sad to cut ties with Mick Hennessy, times had changed and they needed to look after no1.

The Hearns are wealthy, friendly and have solid foundations with Sky Sports. But more to the point, all that was acquired because they are solid and consistent promoters. In a nutshell, they have earned it.

Of the choices of promoters on the table, I can fully understand the decision to move to Matchroom. They are a hard working bunch who rise early and work long days to ensure their business and their stable are a success. They seem professional and leave the back-stabbing and whinging to the others. They don't seem to be interested in politics and rather than form competitors, they look to forge alliances, which is what people in this sport should be doing.

I don't think Matchroom are selling themselves to fighters, I think that fighters are picking up the phone themselves in the first instance. So alluding to poaching people is probably incorrect.

I've always toiled and defended Hennessy, but he has been dealt a bad hand lately from all angles on the TV front. And a lot of the fighters stuck with it for a long while.

In closing it's not that Hennessy is a bad promoter, it's not that Matchroom are poaching - this is all about circumstances and if anyone has an axe to grind about it , then ITV should really be the focus of their grievances.

Because until ITV pulled out, the promoters, the fighters and the fans had the best of both worlds. Everyone had their 'turf' and their stable and were putting on shows.

When Mark Sharman took control of ITV sports in 2005 he backed boxing in a big way. But when the recession hit home, he was forced to step down at the end of 2008 and that's went it all went pear shaped.

[dbflex]

The move to Hearn from Hennessy was lead by Tony Simms for the most part. He knows the shelf-life of a fighter and the importance of fighting on a marquee sports channel. Whilst they were sad to cut ties with Mick Hennessy, times had changed and they needed to look after no1.

The Hearns are wealthy, friendly and have solid foundations with Sky Sports. But more to the point, all that was acquired because they are solid and consistent promoters. In a nutshell, they have earned it.

Of the choices of promoters on the table, I can fully understand the decision to move to Matchroom. They are a hard working bunch who rise early and work long days to ensure their business and their stable are a success. They seem professional and leave the back-stabbing and whinging to the others. They don't seem to be interested in politics and rather than form competitors, they look to forge alliances, which is what people in this sport should be doing.

I don't think Matchroom are selling themselves to fighters, I think that fighters are picking up the phone themselves in the first instance. So alluding to poaching people is probably incorrect.

I've always toiled and defended Hennessy, but he has been dealt a bad hand lately from all angles on the TV front. And a lot of the fighters stuck with it for a long while.

In closing it's not that Hennessy is a bad promoter, it's not that Matchroom are poaching - this is all about circumstances and if anyone has an axe to grind about it , then ITV should really be the focus of their grievances.

Because until ITV pulled out, the promoters, the fighters and the fans had the best of both worlds. Everyone had their 'turf' and their stable and were putting on shows.

When Mark Sharman took control of ITV sports in 2005 he backed boxing in a big way. But when the recession hit home, he was forced to step down at the end of 2008 and that's went it all went pear shaped.

I agree with most of this but I don't believe all the fighters they've signed came about because the boxers pursued Matchroom and not vice versa. By putting Hennessy's guys on their shows Matchroom were building a relationship with them and were thus best-placed to take advantage when they became impatient with Mick – that's not a criticism, it's smart planning on their part, but this is not simply a case of eager fighters diving head-first into Matchroom's obliging embrace.

[Camcas]

People overate Martinez so much here its funny. Yes he is better than Barker, but he isn't in Pac Or Floyd league or anything like that. Barker will most probably loose, but at least it shows some balls to take the fight rather than going the Frank route and fighting a nobody for the WBO title

[Glyn Leach]

Good debate and while I share Flex's inherent distrust towards the suited and booted image, Eddie is a slick, approachable and likeable pro — rather like his dad. I think it's great that Eddie and the Warren brothers have broken onto the scene, they may be relatively inexperienced but they have a wealth of experience to call on and the backing of promotional outfits already with strong infrastructures intact to which they can hopefully bring a fresh outlook.

As for 'poaching', that's just what happens, isn't it — in most areas of life people will go for the best deal available. Like Mickey Duff said, if you want loyalty buy a dog.

I think Martinez might be a bit overrated too. Looking at it, he beat Pavlik (not all that) and Williams was possibly more overrated than his abilities warranted, look at his recent form. Maravilla is an excellent fighter, no question, but I agree with Camcas, he isn't 'true elite' at this stage