• Steve Bunce

Barker boosted by Martinez miscalculation

Sergio Martinez poses with Darren Barker © PA Photos

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On paper Darren Barker has no chance when he fights Sergio Martinez at the weekend. Martinez is not just in charge of the WBC Diamond middleweight belt - he's arguably the best active pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He's not as good as Floyd Mayweather Jnr, but he fights more often.

He's tough, powerful, seasoned, and he does everything very well. For that reason, Barker enters as a 9/1 underdog - and they're not joke odds, they're realistic odds. Darren knows that.

So how can he beat Martinez? Well first of all he needs to arrive in peak condition - which he will, because camp's gone brilliantly. He also needs to be sharp, fast - and, crucially, he can't let himself become overawed.

The beauty of it for Darren is that when they get in the ring in Atlantic City, there's not going to be 15,000 people baying for his blood. It's going to be a low-key audience, because Martinez doesn't have a massive following, he can't pull a huge crowd.

If Barker gets three or four hundred Brits in the audience, he'll feel like the home fighter. And Darren's a very composed guy, who won't crumble because he's fighting at the top, top level.

Darren will be hoping that Martinez has underestimated him slightly, because complacency is a common factor in all of the shocks in boxing's history. I've just got a feeling that Martinez's people may have miscalculated Barker a little.

I know Martinez's promoter Lou DiBella, who doesn't give Barker even a mild hope - and if you dismiss someone, you lack respect. That's a huge danger in this business.

DiBella's used to being around big fights, and Darren was never going to create a big Atlantic crossing. This was never going to be a mad dash to America, like Ricky Hatton attracting thousands of Brits to Vegas. Instead the travelling party is Darren Barker, his team, and a couple of hundred Brits, which I don't think has impressed Lou. It's still about 200 more than follow Martinez!

Darren has treated the press conferences in an understated manner, talking respectfully about Martinez, which could work in his favour. There was no point in him getting in Martinez's face, because it won't make any difference - it'll only make Darren look stupid.

Sergio Martinez has been thinking a few fights down the line © Getty Images

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Without Barker ranting at him, Martinez has opted to switch his focus elsewhere. He's not looking at the next fight, he's discussing the likes of Matthew Macklin and Manny Pacquiao; three or four fights down the line. That's a hazard.

This is Darren Barker, a former British champion and European champion, unbeaten, with phenomenal amateur pedigree. He's seasoned, happy, very comfortable at the weight. Lots of things are screaming out for Martinez to do his homework.

Barker's got good balance, a terrific jab, and he puts simple shots together fluidly. He'll be as brave as Martinez. Plus what people underestimate in modern boxing is the concept of actually knowing your trade.

Darren Barker is a tradesman, and he's got a fine boxing brain. You can argue that next to Ricky Burns, he's got the best brain in the country - better than Carl Froch, Amir Khan, David Haye. He's not as devastating or colourful, but he's a better thinker than all of those.

Barker can only come out of this fight well, like Matthew Hatton did when he took Saul Alvarez the distance in March with a brave, battling display.

Darren's not going to get blasted out in two or three rounds like Gary Lockett did against Kelly Pavlik, like Michael Jennings did when he fought Miguel Cotto. It's not going to happen like that, he's too clever. They were also up against screaming, emotional crowds.

Martinez is sensational, so he may be thinking two or three rounds, but Darren knows too much. Even in defeat, he can benefit. I also know he can pull off the shock.

Froch's fury

Carl's a lovely guy, but in all my years I don't know of a fighter who gets in such a zone when a bout approaches. He doesn't become rude or unpleasant, but you sense the intensity - and, mentally, he takes himself to a different place. I think he's already begun the process of moving to that next level of concentration.

He's had Ward on his mind since the first day the Super Six tournament was announced over two years ago - and now he's got to completely take his foot off the pedal. It's not ideal but, if the fight can't been rescheduled for later this year, he can't fight someone else just to keep himself busy.

Carl doesn't do things in half measure - he's the kind of guy where if you played in a football friendly, he'd get sent off for a tackle after five minutes.

He needs to hope he can rediscover his intensity when he finds out the new date for the Ward battle. One slight advantage is that Carl's trainer Robert McCracken is out at the World Amateur Championships in Azerbaijan in his role as the GB coach. There is always a little light off in the distance.

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