Darren Barker weighed in at 11st 8¾lbs for Saturday’s middleweight fight with Kerry Hope at the London Olympia, making him slightly heavier than his 11st 7 ½lbs opponent.
The talented but injury-prone fighter will end a 14-month layoff when he enters the ring on Saturday night and, with two of his domestic rivals also busy – Billy Joe Saunders fights a week later, while Martin Murray is to challenge world titlist Sergio Martinez, Barker’s last opponent and the only man to beat him as a professional – promoter Eddie Hearn insists that Barker needs to perform to avoid a damaging defeat against Hope.
Hearn said: “We’ve had a lot of problems with this show. John Murray failed a medical and Lee Purdy failed a virus in the same week, so we’ve had to be creative.
“It’s a very, very competitive bill. Barker-Hope is a fascinating fight. Barker’s been out for 14 months and has had a number of injuries. A prime Barker should beat Hope, but Kerry shocked everyone against [Grzegorz] Proksa, and is in great shape and very confident. If Darren’s not up to his best he’s going to really struggle.
“Barker’s just got to stay focused. But he’s so excited. It’s actually quite ironic that on a bill that’s had so many injuries, Barker’s the last man standing and is topping it. I’m chuffed he’s back in the ring and he’s looked fantastic in training, but if he’s not at his best he’ll struggle.
“I’m surprised about how many fans Carson Jones has in the UK. When Purdy fell ill everyone was saying ‘please keep Carson Jones on the bill’. Dean Byrne’s stepped up and said ‘I fancy my chances, I’m going to give it everything – it could change my career’, so God knows what’s going to happen there.”
By Barker’s own admission, the time since his last fight has been difficult – he even fleetingly considered retirement – but he is adamant that there will be no signs of his inactivity when he finally returns to the ring.
“I’m such an experienced fighter now, it’s second nature getting back on the scales,” Barker said. “I feel at home. It felt good, it felt right, like I was meant to be there and meant to be getting in the ring tomorrow night. It didn’t feel like 14 months since the last time.
“100 per cent, it would have been the wrong decision to quit. I just said it when I was down in the dumps. Getting on the scales, it all made sense to me. I’m glad Hope’s in shape, if he wasn’t he’d be in a world of trouble.
“I look forward to proving there’s no ring rust. I’ve been around the block too long – 14 months out, it’s like riding a bike, you don’t forget how to throw punches and in sparring I got my eye in.
“I look forward to putting on a show.”
Erik ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng weighed in at 10st 13¾lbs for his English light middleweight title defence against 10st 13 ½lbs Max Maxwell, with Carson Jones and 10st 11 ½lbs and his opponent Dean Byrne 10st 10lbs, while Eamonn O’Kane was 11st 5 ½lbs and John Ryder 11st 6lbs.
