DARREN BARKER 'S GALLANT EFFORT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP SERGIO MARTINEZ'S "NIGHT OF WONDER"
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 02 Oct 2011
Atlantic City, New Jersey - The title of tonight's fight was named after his moniker. He is tonight's headliner in a bout televised worldwide. He is a star in the rising, if not a star yet. Tonight, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez came up yet again with a magnificent but hard earned performance against a 26-1 underdog who fought like he wasn't one. It took eleven grueling and bloody rounds for the recognized middleweight king to deliver the goods tonight at the Boardwalk Hall Arena here in Atlantic City.
Sergio Martinez suffered a broken nose in the fourth round after unbeaten Englishman Darren Barker showed that he is not a push over as everyone expected he will be. Barker came in determined to score the upset of the year against Martinez showing good defense and ring generalship early in the fight. He sneaks in a couple of right hands that landed on Martinez's face often. It resulted in Martinez suffering a broken nose in the fourth round with blood oozing from his nose from then on. This bothered Martinez who seemed to be up for a fight against the 23-0 boxer from London, England. Barker throws in three punch combos that stopped Martinez's advances at times and a tight defense that made it longer for Martinez to penetrate.
But Martinez found his rhythm in the second half of the fight. He described it as "his second wind." He also found his right hand connecting on Barker. "I knew I would good stronger as the fight went on. "He said after the fight. His speed helped too, as he threw multiple combinations on Barker with majority of it landing, despite Barker doing a good job blocking most of it. The telling round came in the 10th round when Martinez landed a right hook which stunned and shook Barker. The Englishman retreated and kept both his hands high as Martinez relentlessly attacked from all angles. Hurt, Barker survived that round and went back to his corner wobbly.
Martinez, who has his number two pound for pound rating overtaken by Floyd Mayweather last week rose up in the 11th round eager to finish the job of the previous round. With Barker mostly in defensive mode, Martinez stormed with fury landing with both left and right hands. A right hook did the job for the fighter from Buenos Aires. Barker folded after getting hit and this time he won't survive the
round and the fight. " I kept throwing the right hand because I knew it would begin to land." he verbalized after the fight. "It was landing more and more as the fight went on." Martinez added.
Sergio Martinez continued his impressive performance of late. This was his fourth consecutive victory after his draw with Paul Williams in this same building. Three of them were spectacular knockouts including that of tonight. Wins like this will make his stocks rise even more and a big name opponent will soon figure in his future. But the question is will he stay fighting in the middleweight level or insist in fighting the two top fighters of the sport who fights two weight classes before him in Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. "I am ready to fight anyone as long as we can come to a good deal with me and come with a good deal for my rival." Martinez stated after his victory.
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