By Scott Gilfoid: Middleweight Darren Barker (24-1, 15 KO’s) will be taking a backwards move with his career in facing Simone Rotolo (35-3, 15 KO’s) on Saturday night for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental middleweight title at the Wembley Arena in London, United Kingdom.
This is yet another easy fight for the 30-year-old Barker, and seemingly a backwards step from his last fight against former fringe level contender Kerry Hope last December.
Going from Hope to the 37-year-old Rotolo has to be interpreted as a backwards move for Barker, and if that’s the best that his promoter Eddie Hearn can do for him than he needs to think about finding a different promoter.
Barker seems to realize that it’s a mismatch, saying to Sky Sports News “I feel like I’m almost there now. Rotolo is a tough and durable guy who knows his way around the ring so I might get a few more rounds out of hi. I’m not taking him lightly.”
Gee, Barker says he might get a few more rounds out of him, but then says he’s not taking him lightly. If that isn’t taking someone lightly then I don’t know what is.
For weeks, Barker has been blathering about wanting to fight Matthew Macklin, Andy Lee and Martin Murray, in clearly looking past Rotolo as if his fight was already a victory in the win column.
Barker said “After tonight, I’d like to be looking for a world title shot.”
So there it is. Barker is now talking about fighting for a world title without the Rotolo fight having taken place.
I just wonder who exactly Barker is thinking will fight him among the four world champions because I can’t think of any of them, besides possibly WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin that will be interested in facing Barker. I mean, Barker already got his title shot against Sergio Martinez two fights ago, and Barker was stopped in the 11th round in that fight.
Martinez isn’t going to waste time fighting Barker again, and WBO champion Peter Quillin won’t take the fight either. The only one out there that would fight Barker is Golovkin, who likely would see it as an easy stay busy fight to keep in shape while he waits for much bigger fights to open up.
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