In a somewhat shocking turn of events, Felix Sturm scored a Round 2 TKO victory over Darren Barker in Germany on Saturday night. Barker loses the middleweight title strap he picked up with a win over Daniel Geale this summer, and worse, his career may be in jeopardy.
Barker apparently suffered a hip injury during the fight, a recurring problem he has had, forcing him to undergo two separate hip surgeries. The exact order of events isn’t quite clear, but it appears as if Barker suffered the injury in the early-goings, leaving him rather immobile, and susceptible to big shots from Sturm, the multiple time former champ.
Sturm sent Barker down twice in Round 2 before Barker’s corner waved off the action, and Barker signaled to his hip and the injury he was dealing with.
Regardless of this outcome, Barker vs. Sturm was a case of questionable business for Barker and his team. There were major fight opportunities for him, including at home in the British scene, as well as abroad.
But every other big fight didn’t involve him traveling to Germany to face a fighter who has been notorious for years for getting bad hometown decisions. A home-and-home rematch clause was built into the contract, but nevertheless, Barker vs. Sturm seemed to be an odd choice.
He could have rematched Geale, looked to fights against Matthew Macklin or Martin Murray, or even angled for a big fight against Gennady Golovkin or Sergio Martinez. Instead, he went to Germany, injured his hip, and got knocked out in two rounds.
We’ll see what’s next and we’ll keep you posted with any further news from Barker and his camp.
