Darren Barker showed a very disciplined performance at the Brentwood Centre in Essex
last night, in his fifth defence of his commonwealth title and to become the new
British middleweight champion. Late replacement Danny Butler, who had come into the
fight on Thursday after only challenging for the English middleweight title a fortnight
ago, replacing the flu-ridden Wayne Elcock, was unable to trouble Barker all night
and lost on a stoppage in the 7th round.
In the first round it was evident Butler wanted to get onto the inside. The challenger would throw a hook then tie up and try to work Barkers body and head, though the tactic was very ineffective.
Round 2 through to 4, Barker was starting to show his highly rated boxing skills. He managed to stay at distance and constantly was setting up a right straight before throwing the left hook. Again Butler didn’t have much to answer back.
By round 5 it seemed as Barker had hardly been marked by Butler. Barkers ability to throw patient and accurate combinations while Butler was up against the ropes and then get out in time was clearly frustrating the challenger.
Through round 6 it was a similar story, Barker staying at range while Butler took up the punishment. Barker was showing he was a clear class above and again had hardly been hit by Butler. Butler was told when he returned to his stool that he had one round to pull something out.
After being told to go for it in the 7th, Butlers work rate was certainly improved
as he threw many hooks to the body and head. However again Barker just looked very
comfortable and 47 seconds into the fight, referee Richie Davies called a stop to
the fight.
After the fight Darren Barker said how his “Dream” of becoming the British middleweight champion “had come true”. He was also respectful to his opponent Danny Butler for stepping in at such a late stage enabling the show went on. Barker also paid respect to both his brother Gary, who died in a car accident three years ago and his trainer Tony Simms. He said “I wouldn’t be able to have done it if it wasn’t for Tony Simms” and that “He would have quite boxing if it wasn’t for him”. The fight was dedicated to Gary. Barker also said that he is now “ready for the world level”.
A fight with Matthew Macklin the current European middleweight champion would be an interesting fight against Britain’s top middleweights at the moment. However the bout is very unlikely to happen soon as Macklin has a fight against Uruguay’s Rafael Sosa Pintos in Dublin next week and Macklin also has an eye on a world championship fight next year.
On the undercard Lee Purdy managed to beat Mark Douglas in the fourth round after Douglas had dislocated his shoulder in the second and was unable to continue. Highly rated Yassine El Maachi showed a great performance earning a TKO victory in round 3 against former opponent of Billy Joe Saunders, Alex Spitko. El Maachi said after the fight he believes he’s ready to fight the likes of Ryan Rhodes and Jamie Moore. Youngster Steve Barnes lost a points decision against Ian Bailey and found out the hard way of a loss in boxing, when his trainer Dominic Ingle questioned his heart saying “his career would be over if he lost”.
By DAN COTTER
