On March 17th, 2007 two of Mexico’s greatest active fighters, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera, will collide in what could be one of the best fights of the year. The careers of the two men are in some respects the very opposites of one another. Barrera has become one of the most popular and beloved small fighters of all time through his thrilling victories over Erik Morales (twice), Kennedy McKinney, and Naseem Hamed, to name only a few of Barrera’s finer moments. He is a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, headlines his own pay-per-views and looks to be a first ballot lock for the Hall of Fame.
Marquez on the other hand has largely toiled outside of boxing’s limelight despite being one of the best fighters in the featherweight division for a decade. He has held titles and beaten solid competition but never had his big moment, his defining fight. Early in his career Marquez, for one reason or another, failed to get his WBO mandated shot against Prince Naseem; Barrera took the fight shortly thereafter and it wound up being one of his finest moments. Marquez went on with little fanfare to fight Freddie Norwood and lost a unanimous decision in his first title shot.
Perhaps the closest Marquez has come to superstardom came in his rousing performance against Manny Pacquiao, when he was dropped three times in the first round only to fight his way back to a draw, some even feeling he had done enough to win. Unfortunately, Marquez bid himself out of the rematch which could have raised his career to new heights, the fight instead going to Erik Morales. Marquez was subsequently stripped of his IBF and WBA titles when his next match failed to draw any purse bids. A few months later he wound up fighting and losing to Chris John in Indonesia for a fraction of the money he would have made from the Pacquiao fight. However, the fight between Barrera and Marquez is an intriguing one for more than the seemingly opposite nature of their careers.
Barrera looked old in his first fight against Rocky Juarez and has noticeably slowed of late. Many even thought that the wear of his many wars was finally beginning to show on Barrera. This was a similar sentiment to the one expressed following Barrera’s beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, which could have been a career-ender. However, in both cases Barrera proved the critics wrong. His loss to Pacquiao has not been avenged (yet) but Barrera did embark on a winning streak over solid competition, including in his rubber match with rival Erik Morales. Juarez nearly brought this streak to an end but came up just short, losing a contentious split decision to Barrera. The damage taken by Barrera in this fight led some once again to declare the Mexican legend’s career at its end. However, for their second meeting Marco adjusted his style, outboxing Juarez over 12 rounds and refusing to get dragged into the war that had favored his opponent in their first meeting.
Barrera’s machismo and desire to go to war is perhaps one of his biggest weaknesses since he has excellent technical skills. Barrera let Junior Jones drag him into a brawl in their first fight and because of it almost suffered the first ko loss of his career (instead getting DQ’d when his corner entered the ring). Barrera’s advancing age and the damage taken in his many battles IS beginning to show, there is little doubt of that. This may be the biggest chink in his armor at this point.
Barrera’s main strength is now in the balance of his skills, even though he sometimes does not utilize all of them. He has developed into an incredibly well-rounded fighter over the years. An excellent jab, the ability to fight inside or outside comfortably, and decent power in both hands make Barrera a handful for anyone. Even in his twilight years he maintains a rock-solid chin, with only Junior Jones and Manny Pacquiao ever coming close to knocking him out in 67 contests.
On the other side of the equation, Juan Manuel Marquez is an accomplished boxer in his own right although one not quite as well-rounded as Barrera. Marquez started his career as heavy-handed counterpuncher and this is for the most part what he remains. He has a devastating right hand and punches with laser sharp accuracy, two attributes that helped Marquez survive the early onslaught on Manny Pacquiao.
However, Marquez has shown problems with slick boxers and can sometimes show up flat or inactive. He was arguably on his way to a points loss against Julian Wheeler early in his career, largely due to Wheeler’s constant movement and the angles Julian was giving him, before scoring a dubious tko of Wheeler in the final round. Freddie Norwood also outboxed Marquez on the way to a unanimous decision that was the first legitimate loss of Marquez’s career. His most recent defeat at the hands of Chris John was characterized by a somewhat inactive Marquez, who sometimes seemed content to follow John around the ring.
If Barrera chooses to box Marquez when they meet, the odds may swing in his favor. Barrera is not an awkward boxer, as both Wheeler and Norwood were, but has enough technical skill to give Marquez some serious problems. Marquez on the other hand needs to revert back to the masterful counterpuncher that we saw against Manny Pacquiao but also may want to try and force the action a little more than is typically his fashion. While Marquez has shown some slowing in his last few fights, Barrera has looked the older fighter. The measured pace usually preferred by Marquez could play into the hands of Barrera if he does not push the pace of the fight.
In the recent press conference both men promised to come forward and if they stick to their word we are in for a treat. A war would, in this writer’s view, favor Marquez but either way this is set to be the first true superfight of 2007.
Trust me, don’t miss this one.
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