Darren Barker, the former IBF middleweight champion, has announced his retirement from boxing due to injury.
Barker lost his world title in painful circumstances on Dec. 7 of last year, his corner throwing in the towel after an excruciating hip injury left him in no state to continue fighting.
Sky Sports News confirmed his decision to retire via its Twitter account:
Barker has spoken about the decision and confirmed he is hoping remain within the sport "in some capacity," per Sky Sports and via ESPN:
I've been struggling with injury for a while now, and coupled with achieving my ultimate goal, I thought it was the right time to retire.
I wasn't feeling anything in the [Sturm] fight previous to the injury, it was usually in training camps. It was unfortunate. I don't think you'll find many happier retired fighters than myself though. I look forward to the future now.
Barker hangs up his gloves with a 26-2 professional record, per BoxRec, having stopped his opponent on 16 occasions.
The defining moment of his career arrived on Aug. 17, 2013, when he gritted his teeth to overcome the stubborn figure of Daniel Geale to finally become a world champion.
At the age of 31, victory in New Jersey placed a crowning moment on a fine career for the Brit, and his emotions were telling when the split decision was read in his favour.
During that gruelling encounter, Barker constantly placed himself on the front foot against Geale and quickly built a strong lead on the judges’ scorecards.
His decision to trade blows with Felix Sturm during the first defence of his IBF belt left him open to punishment in Stuttgart.
Sturm's aggressiveness overcame a brave effort from Barker, who was knocked down twice during the second round, per Ben Dirs of BBC Sport.
Tony Sims, the boxer's trainer, threw in the towel shortly after his man hit the deck for a second time. Barker, who put his career on hold after enduring surgery on both hips in 2010, had suffered a dislocation of one side during the first round.
"It's a disaster - you'll probably never see him in the ring again," said Sims shortly after the devastating loss, reported by Sky Sports.
It seems this fear has now become reality for Barker, who received messages of support from boxing personalities upon revealing his decision:
With an excellent career behind him and the promise of no further serious injuries sustained in the ring, Barker now has plenty of time to pursue other areas of interest.
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
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