Comments Thread For: Ricky Hatton: Barker/Hearn Rejected Offer To Face Murray

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

DARREN BARKER’S team have turned down a big offer for him to meet British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Martin Murray.

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[Hayehammer]

Too bad! this fight would make sense and would be huge in england!

[D-MiZe]

It wouldn't be huge at all.

The British middleweights all need to fight each other. Macklin, Barker, McEwan & Murray - step up!

[Clegg]

Seems like Barker is holding out for the rumoured Chavez fight. I don't blame him, but the reality is that neither Murray or Barker really earned their title shots, and while both gave a decent showing, a fight between them means that the winner would actually deserve to challenge someone like Geale, Pirog or Golovkin. Right now they are both in the mix but not at the front of the pack imo.

[Bajingo]

So who will Barker be fighting in May? Not Sturm, So it's either Pirog (probably in Russia) or Geale or Chavez Jr who both have fights coming up.

[DoktorSleepless]

Seems like Barker is holding out for the rumoured Chavez fight. I don't blame him, but the reality is that neither Murray or Barker really earned their title shots, and while both gave a decent showing, a fight between them means that the winner would actually deserve to challenge someone like Geale, Pirog or Golovkin. Right now they are both in the mix but not at the front of the pack imo.

Besides the champions (Chavez, Pirog, Geale, Sturm, and Martinez), the other notable middleweights are Proksa, Macklin, Zbik, Rubio, N'dam, Murray, Barker, Lee, Quillin, and Golovkin. Do any of the other guys really stand out anymore than Murray and Barker? I mean, with four belt holders and one lineal champ, these fives guys have to defend against somebody. I don't see why Barker and Murray isn't as qualified as anyone else available. Besides Proksa, nobody else has any signature wins to make them "deserving" of a title fight. At least Murray had a respectable draw against Sturm in a good fight. That's a lot more than the other guys can claim.

[LoveForBoxing]

I thought the murray sturm fight was a draw ? so how can he get outpointed ?

[Clegg]

Besides the champions (Chavez, Pirog, Geale, Sturm, and Martinez), the other notable middleweights are Proksa, Macklin, Zbik, Rubio, N'dam, Murray, Barker, Lee, Quillin, and Golovkin. Do any of the other guys really stand out anymore than Murray and Barker? I mean, with four belt holders and one lineal champ, these fives guys have to defend against somebody. I don't see why Barker and Murray isn't as qualified as anyone else available. Besides Proksa, nobody else has any signature wins to make them "deserving" of a title fight. At least Murray had a respectable draw against Sturm in a good fight. That's a lot more than the other guys can claim.

Fair point, but Barker in no way deserved a shot at Martinez and virtually everyone said so. He did ok and had some good moments but that's all. In a division without too many clear challengers, if you have no notable wins and lose a fight clearly you should to the back of the queue.

With Murray, fair enough the Sturm result was a draw and so he should be considered among the top contenders, but he had only just won a British title in his last fight and like Barker his opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere. Plus at this point I'm starting to think that people doing well against Sturm has more to do with him not being that good than with his opposition suddenly being better than expected. He deserves a rematch but the rest of the division have better options available to them.

As for who should fight who, Chavez should've fought Martinez long before now so that should happen, if it doesn't then Martinez should face Pirog. If Pirog can't get Martinez he should face Geale. Sturm should face Golovkin, if Golovkin can't get Sturm into the ring then he should have another try at make the N'Jikam fight.

People can dismiss that as fantasy but these aren't impossible-to-make fights, they're the fights that people have been requesting and which sanctionary bodies have either been pushing for or pretending to push for.

Guys like Barker shouldn't be getting one undeserved title shot, let alone two. The champions should be looking to face each other while the contenders do the same.

[chiguy91]

damn, this fight would have been good. we could have seen martinez/macklin, sturm/lee, and now this. also, there's a purse bid on golovkin/n'jikam so that'd be 4 great MW fights being made. sucks hearn and barker didn't take this.

[daggum]

barker is a beast! he went 11 rounds with martinez before getting grazed and brutally knocked out.