MARCO ANTONIO Barrera?s shocking 11th-round knockout defeat to Filipino pride Manny Pacquiao resulted in the cancellation of the Mexican?s juicy contract with HBO Boxing, according to a Spanish-language newspaper.
Ramiro Gonzalez wrote in the Feb. 1 issue of La Opinion that Barrera will instead make his comeback on March 19 with Telefutura, a television network regarded as several rungs below HBO.
La Opinion quoted HBO spokesman Kevin Flannery in the article datelined Phoenix, Arizona as saying that because of Barrera?s loss, the contract became void.
He made it clear, though, that the contract could still be renegotiated.
Barrera?s loss, which later was voted as the Upset of the Year for 2003 in an on-line poll, paved the way for Pacquiao to enter the picture and meet with top HBO executives in New York this month.
Pacquiao and business manager Rod Nazario are tentatively set to fly to San Francisco on Feb. 20 en route to New York for a meeting with HBO execs on Feb. 22.
