Marco Antonio Barrera looked across the ring Saturday night at Manny Pacquiao and saw himself, circa 1998.
He should have known right then he was in big trouble ? at 29 an old man among boxing’s smaller men ? facing a Tiger in his fighting prime.
Barrera deserved better ? the intuition to fight one less fight sooner. Now, he needs close friends and family to tell him not to fight again. Barrera deserves better than HBO’s Jim Lampley and his cracks about Pacquiao leaving Barrera in the gutter.
Barrera leaves the game ? if he is smart, an all-time great and hopefully, if he has guarded his money closely from boxing’s robber-barons ? a rich man.
