Marco Antonio Barrera’s young daughter, Jimena, yawned and waited for her daddy to step through the ropes and into his office Saturday night.
It was after her bedtime. Barrera lost, but she could sleep easily, knowing that Dad has forever won a spot among Mexico’s loyal fans.
An appreciation of his resiliency and skill over nearly two decades was evident even in the opposite corner at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. When he was introduced before the opening fury, cornermen for Juan Manuel Marquez applauded him.
It was a good night to say farewell, especially after a terrific 12 rounds that only confirmed some of the worst fears about Barrera. His many battles have turned him into old fighter. He tried to steal rounds with late flurries. But there was nothing he could really do to stop Marquez.
Barrera disputed the unanimous decision. He ripped the judges. He complained referee Jay Nady missed a knockdown of Marquez in the seventh. That was no slip. Marquez was dropped by Barrera’s right hand.
In a departure from his usual poise, however, Barrera almost stepped around Nady and threw a punch while Marquez was on hands and knees. For that, he was penalized a point.
“If I see blood, I go after my prey,” said Barrera, who lost his 130-pound title. “The ref should have stepped between us.”
In the end, however, it wouldn’t have mattered. Even if the seventh had been scored in Barrera’s favor, he would have lost. After the fight, there was talk about a rematch. Home Box Office reserved Sept. 16 for the possibility. But there also was talk of retirement. Barrera wasn’t sure. He said wanted to spend time with his kids.
As a partner in Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, Barrera’s real power is in marketing. He doesn’t have to take more punches, not when there is a daughter and a lot more waiting for him.
No Floyd fan
Ricky Hatton hopes he earns a shot at the De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. winner with an impressive victory over Jose Luis Castillo on June 23 in Las Vegas.
But Hatton has a tough time picking a winner. Hatton says Mayweather is hard to beat and hard to like.
Mayweather’s ring brilliance, Hatton says, is offset by trash-talk that puts him at the bottom of the personality heap. “Floyd probably is the pound-for-pound best in the world” Hatton said. “But he is a bit lacking as a person.”
Brief
Daniel Ponce De Leon (31-1, 28 knockouts) won a disputed decision over Gerry Penalosa (51-6-2, 35 knockouts) for a 122-pound title. One judge had De Leon winning every round. “I underestimated Penalosa,” De Leon said. So did the judges.
