• Middleweight

Barker unlikely to fight again

Darren Barker was stopped by Felix Sturm in two © Getty Images

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Darren Barker is likely to retire after suffering a suspected dislocated hip in his IBF middleweight title defeat to Felix Sturm, according to his trainer.

Tony Sims threw in the towel in the second round after Barker had already been knocked down twice in Stuttgart. In the past two years Barker has undergone two arthroscopic hip surgeries, as well as surgery on a biceps tear.

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"It's a disaster - you'll probably never see him in the ring again," said Sims.

"His hip went in the first round when he threw a right hand. He came back to the corner and said 'I think it's gone, it's hurting me'.

"In the second round he got clipped with a shot and - I don't know what's happened - it's completely gone on him. I was hoping it would just be a muscle injury but when he went down the next time I threw the towel in because I knew he couldn't move.

"He's had problems with his hips before and they're just not right. He'll have an X-ray at the hospital and we'll see what's happening from there."

Barker almost retired after his world title defeat to Sergio Martinez in October 2011. He is entitled to a rematch with Sturm next summer, but his promoter Eddie Hearn poured cold water on the idea.

Hearn said: "If it's as bad as we think it is I'm not sure he's going to be involved in the rematch, and if he's not involved in a rematch I would suggest that would make his decision for him.

"With Darren Barker every fight is a bonus because his body has gone through the wars. To even get four fights out of him after he came back [to beat Daniel Geale for the IBF title] was a miracle."

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