Geale outworks him and wins by 4 rounds. Barker will try to line him up for power shots while Geale accumulates comfortable lead.
Assigned by the commission, ostensibly without external influence. Carter is a safe bet to occupy a slot, as she is typically there for a few shows per year in A.C. judging anything from mid-card to main event. Incidentally, she gave had Martinez vs. Barker closer than either of her peers... Another likely candidate to be tapped for the "local seat" (there is usually one resident on the panel, and then a couple of either international provenance or at least out-of-state) is John Poturaj. His card had Steve Cunningham rightly up over Tyson Fury entering the 7th, and though his 57-55 was closer than my 59-53 it was better than Glenn Feldman's drawn card.
I expect at least 1 experienced judge from NY State to be 1 of the 3 judges. Have noticed this with many big fights in Jersey.
I kinda fancy Barker in this one, considering the odds. He performed well for long periods vs Martinez and has looked sharp and strong in recent outings (albeit against weaker opposition). Geale is tough and a good all-rounder, but I had his and Strum's fight a draw but thought he didn't do more than Macklin or Murray. I agree that judges will be important in this one and how they see it, because it looks set to be tight.
Kind of a 50/50 fight, but I favor Geale slightly. Neither of them would have a chance Vs. Golovkin though...............
Geale is underrated, hopefully he'll win a clear decision against Barker. I actually might think that Barker could underestimate Geale a bit War Geale all the way from Denmark
