Sergio Martinez says he could fight Darren Barker Oct 1st

I don't see why Barker would leave his left hook and bodywork at home because he's stepping up. He has a good variety of punching, he's been well schooled mostly. Sturm isn't hard to find, he's pretty flat footed and straight up so everything is there for him. It just comes down to who can outbox who in that fight. Let's be honest, we're going on about Barker stepping up and rightly so, but I think Mr Sturm would also be taking a step up if he fought Barker! Which is ludicrous, but that is the case.

The problem with Macklin in comparison is he isn't very skilled so he's going to be easier to outbox. It's a completely different fight. Thats going to come down to whether Macklin can get into his range and land some big shots or at least put some pressure on Sturm. Whereas Barker I feel has a genuine chance of outboxing him.

 

Jesus man, Sturm would not be taking any step up if he fought Barker.Sturm has beaten Castillejo, should have got the win against De La hoya, beat Lorenzo, and sylvester. Barker might look quick and have good combos against stationary targets like Spada, but Barker will find it a whole different story when he steps up. The reason he looks good at this level is because hes fighting boxers who are one dimensional and cant deal with him. Lets see how well he does when he faces someone who can box aswell a Sturm can, when hes in top form. Barker has struggled a bit at european level aswell, Belghcham had him fading in the second half of their fight after he put the pressure on. Barker looked somewhat mechanical and one dimensional in that fight, he looked like he was running out of ideas. Sure Sturm doesnt fight like Belghecham, but hes a better fighter than him. His jab will find its mark against Darren, and it will be putting its own type of pressure on Barker.

In saying that i would be rooting for Barker if he ever fought Sturm, not a big fan of Sturms style or some of the fights hes taken, or the fact that he wont travel out of Germany.

 

I think Barker is a step up compared to most of these guys Sturm has fought in the last few years. Thats my point. Of course he's not better than Oscar and maybe Castillejo, though he's a completely different fighter to him. I don't rate Lorenzo, just because he's from the Dominican Republic and has a cool name doesn't automatically make him good, he isn't.

I think you're overrating Sturm's boxing ability. He's one dimensional himself, I don't know how you can't see that. He fights a robotic stiff style but the problem is he isn't that strong or powerful either. Hence why he's very easy to unsettle with pressure. And I also think he's pretty easy to outbox if somebody with a clue is stood infront of him with some speed. Look how Kessler came unstuck against speed fighting this style, and you gotta remember Kessler is EXTREMELY big and strong at the weight with a great chin and very good power giving him the ability to pressure effectively. Sturm has none of that, and its all a big smoke and mirrors act at the moment.

I'd have absolutely no issue throwing Barker in with him if I promoted him. No issue at all. Win or loss, it would be competetive and you're not exactly going to take a hiding off the guy.

 

The really strong Sturm against JMW Castillejo

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVrNqZC-qs4&feature=related[/ame]

After Kouji Sato, the only fighter he has fought of note was Gevor, who beat him. Sturm gets a free pass for being a long term belt holder, even though the reason he is one isn't because he's particularly good IMO. He was sooooo lucky the Sato fight was in Germany, pure madness that stoppage, right when Sato was on the brink of stopping him! atsch Unbelievable.

 

Matchroom should try and get Geale over, thats a fight Barker could win and i think it would be easy enough to get him over. Mundine aside, Geale doesn't make any serious coin in oz fighting anyone else as he is still reletively unknown over there. Seems crazy going over to fight Martinez in the states with no world title on the line in a fight i think he loses. And after Martinez wasted Dzinziruk i don't think HBO would be too keen to put Martinez in with another fighter unknown to the casuals and even a lot of the hardcore fans in the states.

 

Sturm might be slightly one dimensional at times, i agree but he does box very well with with what he has, a good jab and good right hand. Ive seen him unveil the occasional good variety of combos aswell. Just look at his fight with Sylvester to see what he can do at his top form, one of Sturms best recent performances. He completely outboxed a man who I would consider a very solid fighter and a good pressure one. He was unleashing good hooks and uppercuts in that fight. And Sturms power, while not great still has to be respected. And if Sturm was as robotic as you say, he would never have beaten De La Hoya ( or should have) He fought a very intelligent fight right there aswell. He moved very well when he had to and avoided De La hoya's late 30 second rallies. The truth is recently hasnt had to show to much against his last few opponents, so that might be why he doesnt looked great. But when hes at his best he turns in very good performances. He might be able to step it up when he has to.

And for all the supposed vunerability of Sturm, hes still only been koed once, in the 12th round of a fight where he was completly exhausted.

 

De La Hoya the quality middleweight?

 

He beat him in the rematch anyways. Hes an inconsitent fella anyways, when he shows up at his best he turns in good performaces. He beat Griffin clearly in the rematch, beat Castillejo in the rematch and turned in a good performance against Sylvester, whos a decent pressure fighter.

 

good enough to give Hopkins a good fight

 

Sylvester isn't really a proper pressure fighter though. Sylvester in most of his fight has been a poor mans Sturm which is why he couldn't win that fight. He's a bit more aggressive than Sturm, in exchange for being a lot less skilled. He was forced to be a pressure fighter because he couldn't compete on a level footing.

I seem like a Felix hater now, and I suppose I don't really like him. I don't like the way he's camped out cherrypicking opponents and even then that wouldn't be so bad if he was putting on a display but he leaves me feeling slightly cold. I don't see any fire.

 

I suppose. Hopkins really didn't do much, then twatted him and Oscar started crying. Adds little to Hops' resume, just another one of his lacklustre 160 performances.

Sturm did beat him. And would probably beat Barker, if I'm going on form I have to. But De La Hoya does not a quality middleweight make, and the rest of his resume, the only just above average Sylvester included, is not great either.

If the referee hadn't stepped in Sturm would've had a truly brutal K.O loss on his record to Kouji Sato, a fact a lot of people seem eager to forget.

 

Great Post. Was only a matter of time. He was just setting him up. Peppering him before a Julian Jackson type finish to proceedings. Only Sato being lot paler and without the hightop...

 

I dunno why people are rating Kaji Sato, i just watched some of the fight (rounds 3 - 7) and Sturm was destroying him with straight punches, he has an EXCELLENT jab, with some real zip behind it. Not only that but he's got a very good defense, all of Sato's punches were just landing on the gloves.

He would easily beat Barker, possibly even stop him.

 

:roflatsch

What fight were you watching?!

 

None of those straight punches landed. It might have looked like it, but watch again. At the last second Koji Sato was avoiding them. Sato was completely outworking him.

That and the Gevor fight were terrible robberies.