Barker Embarkes on North America

When somebody asked undefeated Commonwealth middleweight champ Darren Barker how he wanted his tea, I half expected him to say: "Shaken, not stirred." Not only does the personable puncher from Barnet, England, look and talk like a young James Bond, he exudes the same understated cool as Her Majesty's devoted Agent 007. The fact that the British press has nicknamed him "Dazzling" doesn't hurt, either. Barker will make his North American debut at the River Cree Resort & Casino on Aug. 15 when he puts both his Commonwealth title and a perfect record (17-0) on the line against an as-yet unsigned challenger. "I'm thrilled to be making my North American debut in Edmonton for a lot of reasons - not the least of which is because I have a tremendous respect for Canadian fighters and their reputation around the globe," said Barker, who turned pro after striking gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. "To be headlining a card that also includes some of the best young guns in Canada is very special for me. I don't care who they put in front of me to fight; I'll put on a show." Those 'young guns' include the likes of Edmontonians Trevor Moyah, Jason De Laronde and Nick Penner, along with Canadian bantamweight champ Andrew Singh Kooner of Toronto. Promoted by London-based Hennessy Sports in association with the River Cree Resort, the card will be televised live across Canada on Super Channel, with a live satellite feed to Europe. In his first defence of the Commonwealth crown in February, Barker KO'd former IBO world title challenger Steven Bendall (28-3) in seven rounds. "The knockouts are starting to come," said Barker, who has nine stoppages on his ledger. "My style is constantly evolving, as shown by the fact that three of my last four fights have ended in KOs. "When I first turned pro a lot of people said I wouldn't make it because my style was too 'amateurish,' but good fighters learn to adjust and adapt. That's what I'm doing." Those adjustments have been on both sides of the ropes. In December 2006, Barker's 19-year-old brother Gary, who had just been named the U.K.'s amateur fighter of the year, was killed in an auto accident. The champ took a nine-month break from boxing to come to grips with his family's tragedy. "I just wanted to collect my thoughts on life in general ... how precious it is, and how we've got to live it to the fullest," he said. "When I got back into the ring, I was re-energized. It was like a switch came on, telling me 'This is what's been missing.' Now, with every fight, I think of Gary. Through my success, he can live on." Barker, who trains fulltime in London, said he plans to return to Edmonton two weeks before the Aug.15 card and hopes to get in some sparring with local fighters, including De Laronde and Moyah.