It is hard to believe that Marco Antonio Barrera, only 33 years of age today, made his professional debut all the way back in November 1989. The Mexican great first came to the attention of boxing fans in being victorious in his first 43 fights and winning the WBO junior featherweight world title, before losing back to back bouts to Junior Jones in 1996 and 1997. While he lost a controversial points decision to arch-rival Eric Morales in February 2000, he ensured his popularity and legendary status in one of the sports great trilogies, winning their two return bouts on points.
While Barrera 63-4 (42) has won world titles in three weight classes and has had many highs in a stellar career, he has also had some lows with four losses, but has always found a way to win his way back to the top. Will he remain in the pound for pound top ten tonight when he faces Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre?
Post-fight after his first controversial points loss to Erik Morales. “I felt I won. I beat him and everyone who is saying he is a great champion now knows he is not.” – February 19, 2000
In the lead-up to his clash with Prince Naseem Hamed. “This is the biggest fight of my career, bigger than Morales. Naseem is a good boxer and puncher but he hasn’t a good chin. But it won’t just be his chin. I will attack his stomach, his liver, his body. He has never experienced the pain I will inflict.” – December 6, 2000
Describing Hamed as a fighter. “He seems to be a good puncher and he throws punches from every angle. I think he’s a great fighter. He’s one of the best at 126 lbs. And one of the best in the world and we’ll be ready to fight him on April 7.” – March 28, 2001
Barrera’s mentality inside the ring. “I do respect all of the fighters outside of the ring. When we get into the ring, it’s just a war.” – March 28, 2001
On whether he is worried about going to a judge’s decision against Hamed. “We’re going to fight him – we don’t care if that happens again. We hope that for the honesty of the judges, that it doesn’t happen again. I think that the Morales fight is in the past and of course we won the fight.” – March 28, 2001
Post-fight after upsetting Hamed. “I’ve always seen him be a counter puncher and when you charge him and you miss, he’ll counter punch you. This time we tricked him.” – April 7, 2001
Commenting on Erik Morales’ talk before their rematch. “Something’s wrong with him. Maybe he’s got bad advice. The way he talks, the way he expresses himself, it’s like he studies what he says, like he’s told what to say.” – May 7, 2002
On Morales talk outside of the ring. “I think people don’t respect him because he talks too much. He talks out of character and doesn’t give his opponents respect. Before fighting me, he called out my mother a bunch of times. That’s a lack of respect.” – May 7, 2002
Why there was no immediate rematch with Morales in 2000. “There was really no reason for a rematch, because what did it do for me? Anybody who saw that fight knows who won it, no matter what the judges said. I won the fight clearly. I would never have fought him again, but the people have been asking for it.” – June 17, 2002
On punching Morales at their El Paso press conference. “Morales just hurts himself when he makes these comments. It’s in his personality to talk bad about other people. I’m not like that. He pushed me to my limit in El Paso and that’s why the fight happened. But I’m not getting into that. I don’t need to do that. Everything I need to say, I’ll say on Saturday night.” – June 17, 2002
On his gentlemanly behaviour outside of the ring. “I think that I do this most of the time. But with Morales, he pushes and pushes. A person can only take so much, and he pushed me to my limit.” – June 21, 2002
Post-fight after beating Morales in their rematch. “We’ll see what the public says and what the opinion is of who really won. We fought an intelligent fight. We’ll wait to see what the critics say.” – June 22, 2002
On his place in boxing in the lead-up to facing Johnny Tapia. “I have waited 10 years for people to accept me as a good fighter. I definitely feel more responsibility to the fans. Now, there is pressure on me to do well all the time, but it is a good kind of pressure. I feel very good and am looking forward to fighting Tapia. I want to fight the best, and he is a great champion. He will be very tough to beat, and is very aggressive. People who think this will be an easy fight are wrong.” – September 18, 2002
Being in Los Angeles. “It is always good for me to come back to Los Angeles, where the fans have always supported and treated me so well. Long before I became a world champion the first time and a lot of people heard of me, the fans of Los Angeles were by my side. This is where I started. Outside of Mexico, this has always been like my second home. I hope all my fans come see me fight Johnny Tapia on November 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It is going to be a great fight.” – September 28, 2002
Staying on top. “I have enough incentive knowing that guys want to beat me now more than ever. That is why I prepare even harder and train even more seriously now than ever before. Now, I need to make sure I cover all my tracks. No detail is too small. All fights are important. Since I defeated Hamed, my confidence has been very high, but it also has made me hungrier. I know what is at stake each time I fight.” – September 28, 2002
On his relationship with Johnny Tapia. “Yes, I am a Tapia fan. I have a very good relationship with him. He has come to many of my fights, and I have watched him on television. All of that will be put aside when the bell rings. We will go out there and do what we have to do, and then we will be friends again after that.” – October 24, 2002
The differences between boxers Johnny Tapia and Erik Morales. “They are different. Tapia is a warrior. He is a guy who comes to throw punches from bell to bell, and that is the kind of fight I am anticipating. Morales is more calculating.” – October 24, 2002
On his performance in beating Morales in their rematch. “No, I do not think that I was too cautious. We had a fight plan that we were going to hit, but try to get hit from him as little as possible. So everything went well.” – October 24, 2002
On fighting as an older boxer. “I am not as good physically as I was when I was younger, but I feel that I am smarter. As always, I am going to wear the name ‘Tapia’ on the back of my trunks. That is my mother’s maiden name.” – October 31, 2002
On being a boxer instead of a brawler. “I like boxing and I hope the people like it. I have hopefully learned how to box, but if the people don’t like it, I can always change.” – November 2, 2002
Boxing to extend his career. “It’s going to extend my career if I do that. When you get into those wars and you take all that punishment, it can shorten your career. There’s no reason to take those punches if you don’t have to.” – March 4, 2003
On facing Kevin Kelley. “We’ll put that on the side for now. All boxers fight and are different and to face someone such as Kevin Kelley is a great threat, being that he is a southpaw, a powerful puncher and well experienced in many bouts. That is why we are focused in getting in the very best preparation possible for this fight to deliver a great fight to the public. We will not be overconfident in saying that ‘Well, he was already beat by such and such’ and this one will be easy for me, of course not. That has already happened to me beforehand with Junior Jones, thinking that fight would be an easy one for me and look at what happened. We haven’t looked over any details.” – April 3, 2003
Signing with Golden Boy Promotions. “I am excited to be part of his company and to be one the first world champion boxers to realize that it is time for the fighters to start taking a more active role relating to the promotion of their careers. What attracted me most was that his commitment to absolute transparency are not just words but they are part of the contract, which is signed in front of the state athletic commission. I wonder how many other fighters can say that their contract is signed in front of the commission?” – June 22, 2003
Commenting on his brain surgery back in 1997. “I was never afraid of what might happen. I knew I was in the hands of one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. I live a healthy life. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I’m 100 percent healthy.” – November 3, 2003
Post-fight after his stoppage loss to Manny Pacquiao. “He punches hard and he’s a great fighter. I couldn’t see a lot of things. I don’t know what went wrong, but that wasn’t me in there.” – November 15, 2003
Making no excuses about the loss to Manny Pacquiao. “It’s easy to make an excuse and I don’t like to make any excuses. It wouldn’t come out right after a loss to bring them up. Those are all behind us now. For this fight, we’re coming in 100 percent focused and ready.” – May 13, 2004
Concentrating on his fight with Paulie Ayala. “It’s very important because I want to show everyone that this is not the first time I’ve gotten up from a loss to come back,” says Barrera, who once lost consecutive fights to Junior Jones but became a dominant champion. We’re not looking at what happened in November. That’s behind us. We’re just looking at this fight.” – June 15, 2004
Post-fight after stopping Paulie Ayala. “He was brave and showed a lot of courage. I thought he was very game. Even though I had knocked him down twice, I still thought he had a lot left. I didn’t want to risk anything.” – June 19, 2004
Before his third fight with Erik Morales. “I’ve matured and I understand you don’t need to talk that way or act that way. We’re at an age now where we don’t have to play these games. When we’re in the ring, it’s always going to be the same way. We only fight one way. But outside of the ring, we should remember that we’re representing the sport.” – November 14, 2004
Post-fight after beating Erik Morales on points for a second time. “Before this fight, everyone said Marco Antonio Barrera is bad, Marco Antonio Barrera is lost. Talk, talk, talk. I don’t like talk. I show that I am OK in the ring with my fists.” – November 27, 2004
Describing his sportsmanship towards Erik Morales after his win. “I want the people to know that I was a gentleman. After the fight, I went over to Morales’ corner to congratulate him on a good fight. But he threw water in my father’s face, it demonstrates that Morales is lacking a bit of education.” – November 27, 2004
On the date for his match with Robbie Peden. “This will be the first time I have the chance to fight on Mexican Independence Day. I know the Mexican people stream in to Las Vegas for this event and it will be my honor to fight for them that night.” – August 27, 2005
Post-fight after his close points win over Rocky Juarez. “I knew this was going to be a tough fight. Juarez is young and he’s strong. What surprised me about him was not his power, but the speed of his punches. I think the judges’ decision was just. I respect their decision.” – May 20, 2006
On his rematch with Rocky Juarez. “I am going to teach him a lesson come September 16. I’m going to hold him by the hand and take him to school. He’s talked too much in Texas and I’m going to take him to school come September 16.” – September 9, 2006
Why he gave Rocky Juarez a rematch. “A lot of the people still have in mind that the fight was a draw. When you are announced the winner, it should be announced inside the ring, not in the dressing room. That’s why we are here.” – September 16, 2006
Post-fight after his rematch win over Rocky Juarez. “I gave him a boxing lesson and that’s exactly what I intended to do. I learned never to fight on the level of my opponent. I’m the champion.” – September 17, 2006
On his Mexican ‘Civil War’ battle with Juan Manuel Marquez. “Juan Manuel thinks he is going to knock me out, I’d like to see him try. He is dreaming that he is going to win, but the difference will show that his dreams are not reality. Instead he should be training because I am going to shut his mouth with my punches not with words.” – January 26, 2007
On why the old Barrera will be back on Saturday night against Marquez. “We tried to learn [Marquez’s style] in camp. I tried to box against my sparring partners and I really couldn’t do it. I couldn’t learn it, so we’ll have to go back to being the old Barrera for this fight. I can’t bring the new Barrera to beat him. I’m going to have to fight him.” – March 12, 2007
