BoxRec

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

Excellent Q & A about his new book:

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/4002 ... g-darkness

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

Hardcase wrote: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

The real test is whether people buy it or not.

Hardcase wrote: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.

Hardcase wrote: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

My favourite boxing books are by Tony Booth and Paul Briggs, both achieved less than Barker. I've read Derek Roche's, Michael Murray's and several others, too. They're nearly always better than big budget "crossover" stars efforts. Holyfield's and Calzaghe's for example were crap.

I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Incidentally, Johnny Nelson's autobiograpjhy is a superb read, as is Elliot Worsell's book about David Haye.

big lennox wrote:I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Totally agree. And as mentioned earlier, he's gone through the heartbreak of losing his brother and the terror of going through a horrible attack. Always enjoy listening to Barker speak, seems a genuine lad. Will make this my next read.

Hardcase wrote: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'd actually say the opposite. His is actually a story that from the bits I know is worth telling/hearing. As long its been well written think this will be a cracking read.

The Law wrote: 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.

Well said mate. Risked a lot trying to stop that fight. I bumped into him recently, proper Gentleman.

big lennox wrote:I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Where you reading your copy like, in his house?

The Law wrote:

Hardcase wrote: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

magwitch wrote:

big lennox wrote:I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Where you reading your copy like, in his house?

Maybe he's getting the audiobook read by the Dazzler himself

Looking forward to this,i read John Davison's book a few years ago,i'd never heard of him but my mum picked it up for me and i read it while i was in Benidorm and it a cracking read and very funny,it was a bit of a pisser to be informed(from boxreccers) that most of it was flannel,although when i was reading it i did wonder how someone can get robbed in every loss they've ever suffered

Boxerbeetle wrote:

magwitch wrote:

big lennox wrote:I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Where you reading your copy like, in his house?

Maybe he's getting the audiobook read by the Dazzler himself

It's a sleepover, and I am taking the book with me.

magwitch wrote:

big lennox wrote:I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Where you reading your copy like, in his house?

or maybe in a gondola with Darren gondoliering on a warm afternoon.

He does look like Butt-Head, though.

I think it would be a good read. He definitely has a story to tell, it's a cool title too.

big lennox wrote:

Boxerbeetle wrote:

big lennox wrote:I will buy a copy of this. Anyone who has had a good amateur career, won the world title on away soil and been in with the best, has a story to tell. He strikes me as being a really nice bloke to, so am happy to spend 2-3 days in his company reading his book.

Where you reading your copy like, in his house?

It's a sleepover, and I am taking the book with me.

That's fair enough, but you should have been honest with Darren about the amount of nights you plan on staying.

cutsman wrote:

big lennox wrote:

Boxerbeetle wrote: Where you reading your copy like, in his house?

It's a sleepover, and I am taking the book with me.

That's fair enough, but you should have been honest with Darren about the amount of nights you plan on staying.

mickey1975 wrote:

Hardcase wrote: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

My favourite boxing books are by Tony Booth and Paul Briggs, both achieved less than Barker. I've read Derek Roche's, Michael Murray's and several others, too. They're nearly always better than big budget "crossover" stars efforts. Holyfield's and Calzaghe's for example were crap.

Paul Briggs' book was a great read. Heck of a life and he wasn't very old when he wrote it.

It's a sleepover, and I am taking the book with me.[/quote]

That's fair enough, but you should have been honest with Darren about the amount of nights you plan on staying.[/quote]


[/quote]

Classic.'Alan, you will come to my brother's birthday next week'....

Should be a good read, but BN have covered most of the story with in-depth interviews with Barker over the past few years.
I'm looking forward to the release of Ronnie Pickering's book. 'Bareknuckle Muppet Slayer'. If you havent heard of him....you should have.

mickey1975 wrote:

Hardcase wrote: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

My favourite boxing books are by Tony Booth and Paul Briggs, both achieved less than Barker. I've read Derek Roche's, Michael Murray's and several others, too. They're nearly always better than big budget "crossover" stars efforts. Holyfield's and Calzaghe's for example were crap.

Yes, a good book is a good book regardless of who it is about. "Looking for a fight" was an excellent book about a writer who only had one professional fight.