by James Edgar, The Hackney Post
‘Dazzling’ Darren Barker defended his Commonwealth middleweight title in Bethnal Green on Friday night, winning in bizarre fashion.
A packed crowd at the York Hall saw Barker dominate the fight, which took his professional record to an impressive 17 wins in 17 bouts with 11 knockouts.
Despite comfortably out-classing his opponent Steve Bendall throughout the early stages, Barker’s victory owed much to a stroke of good luck.
An accidental clash of heads in the seventh round caused a deep cut above Bendall’s right eye.
Referee Richard Davies was left with no choice but to stop the contest, awarding the fight to the 25-year-old Londoner.
The bout, organised by Hackney-based promoters Hennessey Sports, saw Barker on top from the start.
He knocked his 34-year-old opponent to the canvas after just 20 seconds of the first round with a short right to the chin and a sweeping left hook.
Bendall recovered from the early fall, but never looked close to challenging the title-holder, in what was likely to be his last chance at the big time.
Light-footed Barker ducked and dived around everything Bendall threw at him, using his trademark jab to chip away at the senior boxer.
He showed discipline and maturity beyond his years as he applied steady pressure on his opponent.
A clear signal of Barker’s inevitable triumph came in the fifth round when the quick fists of the Barnet-based fighter proved too much for Bendall.
The southpaw found himself marooned on the ropes after a lightning four-punch combination.
Ironically it was not Barker’s fists that won him the match, but the pair’s accidental collision in the seventh.
Barker shimmied to avoid a right-hander and the pair clashed heads, causing the cut above Bendall’s eye.
The referee briefly let the fight continue, which allowed Barker to take advantage of the gash by landing three blows that caused it to start bleeding heavily.
Davies ended the bout soon after as experienced left-hander Bendall was unfit to continue, awarding Barker a win by technical knockout.
Bendall, from Coventry, had started the year well with an unbeaten run of three wins in consecutive bouts, and Barker did not underestimate the title challenger.
Speaking after the contest he said: “I never overlooked Steve Bendall. He is a quality opponent and he has proved that with the opposition he has faced. He was a stiff test. It was a matter of boxing smartly.”
Barker turned professional after winning the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and the young man promised there is more to come: “I am learning all the time so this was a good performance at this stage of my career.”
And Barker’s future looks bright, with plans to cross the Atlantic to take on the best America has to offer.
Fight promoter Mick Hennessy said: “Darren is an exceptional talent and has the potential to be a big star of British Boxing. I’m looking to get Darren US exposure this year.”
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