Barker looks for 'Sharpe' performance by British Boxing Jul 24th 2008

On August 15, The Venue at The River Cree Resort and Casino, in Enoch, Alberta, just outside Edmonton, plays host to one of the most intriguing match-ups of the year, as undefeated middleweight Darren Barker (17-0, 11 KO's) makes his North American debut against veteran Larry Sharpe (22-4, 10 KO's), of Pine Falls, Alberta. “I'm so excited to be fighting in Canada,” an enthused Barker said before dismissing any notion that he might be fighting Sharpe, a Western Canadian, at a disadvantage. “I had an extensive amateur career, and was constantly abroad. I'm quite comfortable fighting overseas. It's really nothing new for me. “This is why I box and test myself, so I can travel the world and show people everywhere what I'm capable of.” In Sharpe, Barker faces a ring-wise southpaw who, while lacking flash, carries his share of substance into the ring, and is riding a six-fight winning streak in the wake of a controversial ten round split decision setback to Bryon Mackie (27-13, 10 KO's) in November of 2006. Sharpe's current run of success includes five wins inside the distance against increasingly difficult competition, culminating with a fourth round TKO over former WBC (lightweight!) title challenger Mauro Lucero (43-12-1, 29 KO's) this past May. Sharpe is perhaps best known in the UK for a brave performance against former British middleweight champion, Scott Dann, in February of 2006, in which Sharpe held firm until being stopped by a crunching uppercut in the ninth round. “I've only ever seen Sharpe in his fight with Scott Dann, and he was holding his own for a while there until he got caught,” Barker said of his foe. “Clearly, he's a guy who's very experienced, and knows what he's doing in the ring. “It should be an excellent fight.”

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