• Boxing

Barker happy with underdog tag

ESPN staff
September 29, 2011
Darren Barker is unbeaten in 23 professional fights © Getty Images
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Darren Barker is relishing his role as underdog as he prepares for his showdown against Sergio Martinez in New Jersey.

The European middleweight champion (23-0, 14 KOs) puts his unbeaten record on the line against the Argentine at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, with Martinez the heavy favourite.

Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs), who is widely considered to be one of the the top five pound-for-pound fighters, is desperate to to secure a fight with Manny Pacquiao after recent victories over former champion Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and Sergiy Dzinziruk.

"They've written me off massively over here," Barker said. "At the moment it's Darren Barker with a question mark behind my name - but I'm going to straighten that out. After the fight they'll be saying 'Darren Barker - wow, what a fighter'.

"But it's lovely to be the underdog at the same time. I'm revelling in it and enjoying it because the weight of expectation is off my shoulders. I can just go out there and express myself. It does feel different than being the favourite. Nobody is expecting anything other than myself and my team. We've got our expectations of what I can do."

Barker believes that Martinez has underestimated him, and expects his speed to cause the Argentine real problems.

"What makes me awkward is that I'm a very quick and elusive middleweight, and I think that's where he'll become unstuck," Barker said. "As good a fighter as he is, Pavlik was having a tough time when they fought and he's also a lot slower than me and doesn't move as well as I do. I'll be a big sized middleweight and an awkward middleweight for him."

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