Brothers

Darren and Gary Barker were The Fabulous Barker Boys. As amateurs, Darren won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Manchester and Gary a junior Olympic Games gold in the United States. Tragedy struck, however, when Gary was killed in a car crash at the age of just 19 and the Barker family was devastated.Darren was finished with boxing. Until, that was, he met an inspirational therapist who turned him around, along with a trainer in Tony Sims who had a story of his own to share. Darren resolved to box on in Gary's memory.Not even two hip operations and long spells of recovery could stop him. After losing to the legendary Sergio Martinez for the world middleweight title, Darren came back stronger and one hot August night in Atlantic City, beat the Australian Daniel Geale to realise the dream. He had been down for a count of nine at one point - before what he believes was a spiritual intervention lifted him from his knees.A DAZZLING DARKNESS is written in collaboration with Ian Ridley, Sports Journalist of the Year in the British Press Awards 2007 and author of the best-selling Addicted with Tony Adams, former captain of Arsenal and England.
Ian has spent the last seven years with Darren for this book, inside training camps and travelling with him from small, sweaty halls in East London to glittering venues in America.What got him off the canvas?