Geale Gets Robbed, Barker Wins IBF Middleweight Title By Strange Split Decision
By Robert Brizel, Head Boxing Real Combat Media Correspondent – Ringside
*Photo Credit – Robert Brizel
Atlantic City, NJ (August 18th, 2013)– Newly crowned International Boxing Federation Middleweight Champion Darren Barker entered the ring for the featured Home Box Office Boxing After Dark main event at The Revel Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Saturday, August 17, 2013. Barker paid no attention to a not so well-dressed Aboriginal Australian in the Daniel Geale corner playing a native tune on a long tree pipe of some kind. After 12 rounds of boxing, Barker won Geale’s IBF World Middleweight title by a strange split decision with scorecards of 114-113, 113-114, and an incongruous 116-111 scorecard from a female judge.
Did Barker deserve to win? Real Combat Media scored the bout 114-113 for Geale, the defending champion. One scorecard appeared to be a raw deal for the Geale camp, reviving memories of Erislandy Lara’s loss to Paul Williams by a rotten 12 round majority decision in Atlantic City in July 2011. New Jersey does not appear to screaming as loudly here as it did before, as the two 114-113 cards went in both directions, leading to the erroneous conclusion the ridiculous 116-111 scorecard should be overlooked inconsequentially. It cannot be.
Geale, now 29-2, 15 knockouts, New South Wales, Australia, came out strongly in the first round, working on both the inside and outside frequently with punches to score points. Barker, now 26-1, 16 knockouts, tried to outbox Geale on the outside, an ineffective approach, managing only to land a few straight jabs.
Barker came back to win rounds two, three and four, throwing a great many jabs in center ring, roughing up Geale on the inside and forcing Geale to hold wherever possible. Geale scored with a low blow in round four and was not looking good. Geale won the fifth round, going back to work on the inside as Barker’s offense disappeared. Geale landed a left hand to the liver which dropped Barker on all fours for a nine count in round six for a 10-8 round. Geale’s punch looked a lot like the one thrown by Vyacheslav Senchenko which knocked out Ricky Hatton in the ninth round of their bout in November 2012. Barker however courageously beat the count, and fought it out with Geale to survive the round. It defense of Barker, he had a heart and great determination to rise from the canvas as he did, and deserves credit for not giving up.
Barker appeared to win the seventh round, roughing Geale up on the inside again, and forcing Geale to hold. Geale appeared to win the eighth round, getting the best of Barker on the inside and then tying him up, including four MMA style headlocks. The ninth and the eleventh round appeared even, with both men fighting it out on the inside with jab exchanges, with repeated holding. Barker appeared to win the tenth round as the slightly busier fighter, landing some damaging straight power shots, with Geale-as always-landing some counter shots to the body of Barker.
Geale won the twelfth and final round, outworking Barker on the inside as Barker slowed down and held on to the final bell. Granted, Geale’s style is awkward as he fights fromt he inside and outside, and some rounds may be difficult to score. For one judge to score this bout 116-111 for Barker refutes logic and common sense.
Perhaps promoter Gary Shaw made a major mistake in not filling the house with Geale fans, but it is hard to say. There were no prominent billboards promoting this fight card for HBO, and half of The Revel resort 1500 seat arena appeared to be empty. The only sounds coming from the arena were a crowd of Darren Barker fans singing and cheering while waving a large British flag. With the British unlikely to give Geale a rematch outside of London (where Geale will never get a decision in all probability), and with Geale’s chances of a payday with Sergio Gabriel Martinez and Julio Chavez diminished, Geale might set his eyes on WBA champion Gennady Golovkin or WBO champion Peter Quillin.
Atlantic City was supposed to be a neutral location for Geale and Barker. In retrospect and reflection, the decision to stage their world title bout in New Jersey was probably a disaster for both camps, as neither fighter is a big draw in the United States, and Barker is unlikely to get a rematch with Sergio Gabriel Martinez now after already getting knocked out by him. Geale seemed to be the perfect candidate to beat Martinez, but without Gary Shaw getting a rematch for Geale, and Geale beating Barker in the rematch, the prospects of Geale versus Sergio Gabriel Martinez are on hold for now. One good feature is Geale and Barker are still young, and have some good years boxing at 160 pounds ahead of them.
Like the late great world middleweight champion Les Darcy of Australia nearly a century ago, Daniel Geale ventured to America with his version of the world middleweight title in search of fame and fortune on American soil. Geale has one advantage over the Darcy-he will live to see another day to fight for another version of the middleweight crown. Les Darcy did not. At worst, Geale should have gotten a draw with Barker. How Geale could win at least six rounds plus score a knockdown, yet how one judge gave Barker eight rounds despite getting knocked down, remains a mystery the New Jersey State Athletic Commission may never explain. The only reason there was no public outcry over the one scorecard in question was lack of interest in Geale and Barker in the states.
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