Shattered Daniel Geale questions whether Darren Barker did enough to take his middleweight crown

DANIEL Geale, as champion, thought he’d done enough with those final seconds of Round 12 disappearing in Atlantic City.

DANIEL Geale thought he had it.

“I’m no judge,’’ Geale told The Daily Telegraph afterwards. “But I don’t know that Darren (Barker) did enough to take my title tonight.

“I’m certainly not going to whinge because that’s never been my go ... but I just don’t know if he did enough.”

Indeed, after 12 stunning rounds that could’ve been fought in a phone box - and a sixth ESPN analyst Dan Rafael nominated for round of the year - Geale was separated from his IBF world middleweight title by one lousy point.

Yep, despite visibly stinging the Englishman in the last, plus dropping and very nearly stopping him in the sixth with a devastating left hook to the solar plexus, the Aussie lost a split decision where the deciding card went 114-113 against him.

A second judge went 114-113 for Geale while the third, offering a ridiculous 116-111, had you wondering if the cocktail waitresses at Revel Casino were delivering drinks ringside.

Yet, regardless, Geale will on Monday head off on holidays with his family to New York and Hawaii without the strap that’s been his for a tick over two years.

And while there is a re-match clause with Barker, it will depend on the Brit beating mandatory challenger Felix Sturm, who IBF officials will demand get next crack at the belt.

“I’m obviously disappointed. Extremely disappointed," Geale said on a night where fellow Sydneysider Joel Brunker continued his undefeated run on the undercard.

Geale

“And while I’m not going to whinge about the result, I’ve already heard a lot of people say that he didn’t do enough to take the title from me.

“But what can you do? I know it wasn’t my best performance and, to be honest, I’ve just got no explanation for it.

“I couldn’t find my spot tonight.”

Despite being outworked by Barker, who suffered a cut beside his left eye, Geale appeared to have won the fight in the sixth when he dropped the challenger with a devastating body punch.

Geale v Barker

So well did Geale find his mark, the Englishman slumped to his knees and, with hands placed over his head, began kicking both feet repeatedly into the canvas. Down for six, seven, eighth, nine . . .

“I think it was actually 9.999,’’ Main Event commentator Ted Cofie said afterwards. “If Barker had been a space shuttle, he would’ve taken off.”

Asked afterwards about the punch, Geale said: “That one was a bit if a surprise.

“I’d hit him with a few of those but that one must’ve really found its mark. I was banging away and that punch, it really stuck. I thought he might stay down but, yeah, he didn’t.”

Geale v Barker

And what rose him, Barker revealed afterwards, was the memory of his late brother Gary, killed in a car accident seven years ago.

“That’s what came into my mind ... and I want to dedicate this fight to Gary because everything I do is for him,’’ the teary champ said afterwards.

“It’s so difficult to put this isn’t words because my journey, it’s been like the Rocky story really.”

Geale v Barker