By Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn, the promoter for British middleweight contender Darren Barker (23-1, 14 KO’s) has big things planned for the 29-year-old Barker in 2012. Barker, #8 IBF, #10 WBC, recently was beaten by WBC Diamond middleweight champion Sergio Martinez by a 11th round knockout last October.

Barker fought defensively for the most part just looking not to get hit by any of Martinez’s bone crunching left hands. Barker’s defensive focus enabled him to last until the 11th when Martinez got up with Barker’s movement and chased him down to score a knockout. Barker’s promoter Hearn has a number of fights he considering for Barker’s next bout in 2012. It’s actually incredible all the bites Hearn is getting on Barker’s behalf for a fight. I can kind of see why. Barker is really basic, not much power, and mostly just a jabber.

As of now here is the list of potential fights:

• Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – WBC middleweight champion
• Dmitry Pirog, – WBO middleweight champion
• Daniel Geale – IBF middleweight champion
• Martin Murray – contender

Hearn has been in conversation with the promoters for each of these fighters and he supposedly has received positive signals that they would be open to fighting Barker. It’s not surprising, though, because Barker isn’t a big puncher and wouldn’t be a knockout threat to any of these guys. They’re all flawed in a number of ways and beatable against a lot of the contenders in the division.

I think Barker would get beaten every one of those fighters listed except for Murray. A Geale-Barker fight might be a close one if Barker can abandon his defensive fighting and go after Geale to take the fight to him. Barker can’t beat Geale by fighting in his usual European stand up style because Geale would box circles around Barker and make him look bad unless he were to get out of his comfort zone and really go after him in a concerted way. Pirog would knock Barker out even faster than Martinez did. I think Barker should avoid Pirog and look for weaker opposition.