Next move for the new IBF middleweight champion Darren Barker

Geale didn't knock him out cold. :nono

Nobody off the list except Golovkin does, in all probability.

I'm pretty sure none of his countrymen do.

Quillin might - or Barker could outbox him.

Martinez in a rematch wouldn't. The chances of him landing another strike on the eardrum...yeah, don't hold your breath...

 

Sturm is definitely enigmatic, on a form rollercoaster these last few years.

He beasted on Hearns, then looked very pedestrian against both double Ms from the UK, then fantastic against Zbik, then shot and unable to pull the trigger or handle the high volume of both Geale and Soliman, and then went ham on Radosevic.

It's Sturm himself bringing inconsistent motivation and sharpness into the ring on top of the disparate levels of quality in those opponents, but still - you can't ignore the fact that of those last seven he lost to (or should have lost to, or drawn with, on most fans' cards) the four best. Barker is more in line with Murray, Macklin, and Geale in quality - better than Soliman, and quite a lot better than Hearns, Radosevic, and even Zbik.

 

You would like to see Mora in a boxing ring? You would actually enjoy that? :blood

 

Agreed totally on Macklin and Murray in regards to how each performed in their Sturm challenge.

From the various RBR threads, going back a few years:

Sturm vs. Lorenzo
IB: Sturm 115-113
Judges: 117-111, 117-111, 118-111

Sturm vs. Hearns
IB: 59-55 Sturm as of the stoppage
Judges: unknown, probably a three card shutout.

Sturm vs. Macklin
IB: 115-113 Macklin
Judges: 115-113 Macklin, 116-112 Sturm x2

Sturm vs. Murray
IB: 116-112 Sturm
Judges: 116-112 Sturm, 115-113 Murray, 114-114

Sturm vs. Zbik
IB: 89-82 Sturm as of the stoppage
Judges: unknown, probably about the same as mine

Sturm vs. Geale
IB: 115-113 Sturm
Judges: 116-112 Sturm x2, 116-112 Geale

Sturm vs. Soliman
IB: 114-113 Sturm
Judges: 116-111, 114-113 x2 Soliman

Sturm vs. Radosevic
IB: 30-27 Sturm as of the stoppage
Judges: 30-27 Sturm x3 as of the stoppage


The popular view for some reason is that Murray outshone Macklin in their respective unsuccessful bids for Sturm's title. I think it's partly due to Murray getting the more favorable official result with the draw, and being the younger fresher unbeaten man (and it doesn't hurt being promoted and talked up by nationally beloved Hatton) and having perhaps a slightly more aggressive style. In reality, looking at them objectively - Macklin copped more rounds off Sturm, no question, except they were nip-and-tuck close-but-clear types as opposed to some of Murray's fewer but more dramatic and eye-catching frames - and unlike him Murray was almost KTFO at the very end and only hung on by a thread. No question Macklin trumped Murray where combating Sturm is concerned.

As you can see from my scoring I'm neither staunchly pro nor anti Sturm, really stone cold neutral when it comes to him. I thought he was screwed due to boxing politics after clearly beating De La Hoya, and thought he legitimately deserved his decisions over Gevor, Castillejo in the rematch, and Griffin in both encounters (all controversial, though some of the controversies are much fuss over nothing) - and thought he deserved better than a draw with Murray, by a comfortable two-point margin and should have just narrowly edged out both Geale and Soliman on quality of work. However, on the other hand, to counterbalance all that I also felt he only barely squeaked by Lorenzo much closer than it was on the official cards, and lost clearly to Macklin. He gets easily overwhelmed these days and would probably lose rematches to Soliman and Geale - and this isn't a terribly new development, as Sylvester took it to him early and had lots of success but expended too much energy and got outboxed for the last 2/3 or so...had they ever had a rematch (which Sturm claimed he would offer a year or so later - once Sylvester had the IBF belt, thus making it a potential unification - but never did) Sylvester with a tweak in his tactics could have stood a very good chance.

I don't rate Zbik whatsoever. As for the "what about him schooling Chavez?" argument - yes. He schooled Chavez. I don't rate Chavez whatsoever. He is a giant bully with an iron chin and some leaden ham-hocks as fists boiling down to pick on smaller men - but he exhibits virtually no boxing skill, even after his dalliance with Roach. Yes, he almost kayoed the lineal middleweight champ of the world in the waning moments of a loss - but it was after getting his ears boxed off and clearly losing every second of every minute of eleven rounds. Chavez Jr. is absolute garbage. Zbik didn't accomplish something very special in schooling him. Sergio Mora would probably do the same exact thing.

Zbik is, on the world stage, average. tops. He twice fought on a roughly even keel with C+ monotonous plodder Domenico Spada. Don't get me wrong, Zbik was the best man on both nights and cleanly outpointed Spada with his jab - but he didn't separate himself as being a league above Spada, which an elite ought to. Now, you might say, "Oh, but didn't Barker only just barely get by Spada too?" - but the answer is no. I had it 119-109 Barker. Those scorecards were a lark. It was a terrible fight to watch, as Spada's invariably are (so too are Zbik's, which is why their meetings rank among the worst middleweight world title bouts ever seen) but it was Barker all day long with his counter-punching in combination whenever Spada wasn't clinching and mauling. Barker outdid Zbik with their common opponents - Spada and Sturm - by quite a lot. Barker is head and shoulders above Zbik and would beat him in a head to head contest by taking away Zbik's greatest strength: the jab. Barker's jab is even sharper.

 

I kind of want to scold you for this but kind of agree.

 

Poor little Soliman. :rofl

53 votes and he is the only remaining option for which not so much as one has been cast.


...yet on paper he is the #1 contender by rights and in fairness should get the first crack.

 

Sturm has caught up - level again with Murray. :yep

 

You know what? Cinnamon vs. Dazzler is damn interesting and I don't think it's ever been looked at. :good

edit: yeah, quick perfunctory search, never been done on here in a fantasy match-up even though everybody realizes Canelo will probably wind up at 160 before long...

:think