Sergio Martinez, the top dog of the middleweight division and the #3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, will meet the European Champion Darren Barker on October 1, in a fight set for broadcast on HBO. Martinez does not have a meaningful belt to defend, since the WBC stripped him of his title in order to hand it to Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. on a silver platter (Matinez remains the “Diamond” champion). However, his prestige makes him the people’s champion, and for all intents and purposes Martinez vs. Barker is a fight to determine who is the best in the division. Can Barker join Matthew Macklin and score a big win for Britain’s middleweights?
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Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KOs)
6′ 1/2″ tall, 29 years old
Briton
Former British and Commonwealth Middleweight Champion, Current European Middleweight Champion
Darren Barker’s resume lacks star quality, with his opposition thus far consisting of gatekeeper-class journeymen at best. He has enjoyed a distinguished run as first the British and Commonwealth champ, and now a good start as European champ. Barker has a solid amateur pedigree, including a Gold from the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and his style mixes business and aggression with a sound, albiet workman-like defense. He isn’t experienced, and many experts do not even put Barker on their Top 10 list, but he is hungry. A host of middleweight champs and contenders, including Miguel Cotto and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., were offered lucrative dance dates with Martinez and refused. Barker, on the other hand, was eager to get in the ring with “Maravilla.”
Sergio Gabriel Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs)
5’10” tall, 75″ reach, 36 years old
Argentine
Former WBC Light Middleweight Champion; Former WBO and WBC Middleweight Champion
Martinez’s standing means he needs little introduction. Martinez flowered late in his career, but his fluid footwork, ability to work the angles, fast hands, counter-punching poise and power have made him a star within the sport. In his last bout, he broke the talented, well-schooled light middleweight Serhiy Dzinziruk into pieces. More ominously, if Paul Williams is now damaged goods, it was Sergio Martinez who broke him. Maravilla is a fearsome opponent, as best demonstrated by the plain fact that Barker was the only available middleweight of note who wanted to fight him.
Martinez vs. Barker Analysis
All factors in this match-up point to Martinez dominating Barker except for two: Barker has tight defense and is a true middleweight. There is nothing showy about “Dazzling” Darren’s defensive technique, but the one thing about a solid point defense is that it is at least partially effective against everyone. Also, Martinez is really a light middleweight; he was still comfortably making weight at 154 lbs in his early 30s, and he typically shows up for the weigh-in at an easy 158 lbs.
Barker is a bigger man than Martinez, and unlike Kelly Pavlik, he hasn’t been weakened by substance abuse and rustiness. He was preparing for a summer defense of his European belt when he was tapped to fight Maravilla, so Barker will show up sharp and in tip-top shape. Martinez still has plenty of advantages, but certainly not all of them.
Martinez vs. Barker Preview
I expect Barker, in the biggest fight of his career by far, to start in a cautious, tentative mode. He’ll come forward behind his jab, and Martinez will by and large let him, preferring to side-step and find a way to get around Barker’s guard. Still, I doubt Barker will bag any of these early rounds, and Martinez will score with single counters and short flurries.
Barker isn’t noted as a brawler, but he is still a British fighter and going to the trenches is something that goes part and parcel with that school of boxing. With his preferred tactic stymied, Barker will adapt and go for the rough stuff. Sergio Martinez is used to a taller guy mauling him at medium range, but Paul Williams was a skinny tall guy who was essentially the same overall size as Martinez. Darren Barker is just a plain bigger man, and his rough stuff will be from much closer. I expect Martinez to be flustered by punch, grab and maul tactics coming from a bigger, stronger guy. Barker’s rally will bag him a round or two, but Martinez will adjust and use the freer flow of action to land more and harder punches. I expect this spurt of heavy, brawling action to end with Barker landing on his butt.
The Londoner will survive, but he tends to have a tired period in the late rounds. Clearing his head and fatigue will shut him out of Rounds 7 through 9. Barker will try to get back into the fight for the final stanzas, but meet with no more success than before. Barker is bigger and sturdier than Williams and Dzinziruk, so I expect him to go out on his feet, but the scorecards will show Martinez winning the fight by a landslide, 10 rounds to 2 plus a knockdown.
Martinez vs. Barker Prediction: Sergio Martinez UD12.
