By Scott Gilfoid: If you look at Sergio Martinez’s upcoming fight against British contender Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KO’s) on October 1st, this is a clear step down from his last five fights for Sergio. Indeed, the 29-year-old Barker is a huge drop off from the likes of Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Kermit Cintron and Serhiy Dzinziruk. That’s no knock on Barker, because he seems like a capable Euro/domestic level fighter that would be right at home fighting guys at that level.

The problem is Sergio Martinez isn’t a domestic and/or a European level fighter; he’s a world class fighter and he’s so much better than the guys that Barker has been tending his grass against that he’s got little chance in this fight. Under normal circumstances, you’d like to see top #3 World Boxing Council ranked contenders like Barker to have faced a little better opposition than he has before throwing him to a hungry wolf like Martinez to get greedily devoured.

Unfortunately that hasn’t happened for this fight. Barker is going from facing limited guys like Affif Belghecham and Domenico Spada to fighting the best fighter in the middleweight division. The outcome is predictable – Barker is going to be torn apart. My only hope is that Martinez is merciful and quick in destroying Barker. I don’t want to see Barker take unnecessary punishment in getting knocked out.

I just hope and pray that Martinez knocks him cold in two or three rounds, rather than letting the beating drag on for many rounds so that Barker’s unmarked face gets ripped, and bruised beyond recognition. Barker won’t last as long as Martinez’s last opponent Dzinziruk, who was blasted out in eight rounds. I’m giving it six rounds at the most, but more likely three if Barker runs around trying not to get hit. Barker’s trainer needs to be ready toss in the white towel when things fall apart in the first couple of rounds for his fighter. He can’t just leave him out there to be slaughtered.

With an easy over Barker, Martinez will be moving forward to a possible fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, the current WBC middleweight paper champion, or a fight against #1 ranked WBC contender Marcos Antonio Rubio.