Several weeks back I flipped on the channel of Univison, a fully-grown media giant in its own right watched by millions, even though they’re boxing regiment hasn’t been on their format for quite some time. I remember one of their highest ratings a few years ago was on a Sunday afternoon when Jorge Paez, SR. fought having the biggest rating of any sports show ever by U.S. viewers as assembled by TV Guide Nielson rating reports, and now they’re nowhere to be seen in boxing giving the presumption that they’ve folded up there tents gone away. Anyhow, what could generate that kind of audience today worldwide in the television industry would be a man who’s longest reigning show shown inside of the record books going by the name Don Francisco presented a fighter of age for today’s ages. I was only sorry that it wasn’t translated for the general listening public who doesn’t speak Spanish, but luckily for you I happen to; and have this report on my desk that may clarify some misconceptions on the following modern-day gladiator who’s just turned 32 on January 17th, and doesn’t even come near a day over twenty-four years of age with his choirboy looks.
Current WBC-IBF Super Featherweight Champion Marco Antonio Barrera, 61-4, 42 KO’s, and he’s all, but touched on the surface about his prognostication to fighting four more years well into 2010.
Legacies of these types are rare to see these days. If you hadn’t heard about the steel plate that’s bolted on his left upper forehead screwed in to protect an extra bone growth as part of his skull, you hadn’t been informed. He’s fought the past seven years with the abnormality not knowing anything wrong with it until his doctor took X-Rays, and they inserted the plate to prevent any incurring damages that could be due to impending wears and tears of the game. Barrera is very colorful and honest of it, and his measure to go under the knife was a solution of preventative accidents like strong medicine to the extent before anything bad goes haywire. Marco Antonio hasn’t slowed one bit as a result of the surgery that he credits to his doctor for doing, the same one who offered Muhammad Ali help for his Parkinson’s Syndrome, not to equate it with Parkinson’s the disease itself, which is a progressive aliment. Barrera took the initiative for his problem and extend his career.
It in fact did for the Three-time world champ, who is actively seeking a fourth championship to eclipse the great Julio Cesar Chavez record of three titles in three distinct weight classes, and Barrera foresees that premonition.
On the show I mentioned earlier they had Reggeton’s award winning Daddy Yankee, he himself no lightweight in the game of life; he was shot during a studio recording incident and survived it; thus returning with more fervor to become a success in the new musical craze that’s taken both sides of the East and West Coasts completely by storm; and has shared his own money to buy gifts just last December for deceased policemen who lost their life’s in the line of duty so that their kids could have Christmas presents in the island of Puerto Rico. D.Y. has sparred with the likes of Ivan Calderon, Felix Trinidad, and Miguel Cotto, although he was once a promising baseball player. He’s been a Barrera fan, and outwardly says he was the sole reason who retired Prince Naseem Hamed from the boxing ring. Marco’s change of course of what his doctor wanted came from him not dreading to take any more medications for the rest of his life.
The other real only alternative to that was a simpler procedure to opening the side of his head for which thereafter he’d suffer no ill effects from; nor having the impending need of any pills to swallow ever again; and gone were the headaches that usually accompanied such symptoms; the remedy he gives total credit for being God along side with his greatest Mexican neurosurgeon.
Marco Antonio was proud about Oscar De La Hoya’s Mexico Vs Thailand tournament that took place last year with Mexico winning, and he’s devised a plan for example if this year’s tourney should P.R. win for the team overall title for it to be extended to other countries defending the coveted framework for the following year. He said he’s going to do promoting after his boxing days are long over, and the dedication and penchant for being the sports enthusiast that he is says he’ll be a very good one.
Barrera is not just the athlete; he’s that awesome epitome of the sportsman and aficionado all rolled into one refreshing to the sense that he is able to separate being the sports jock from the promotion. He should truly be highly touted for it.
What does Barrera say for the making of a champion?
“Well it’s a sport that’s needed lots of discipline; and I believe that you not only have to be consistent in boxing, but disciplined also like you do so in life. So I think it’s with that consistency that we succeed in is also like what you do in life”, Barrera said
Marco Antonio was asked what are the hours a day that a boxer needs to work in the gym?
Barrera responded, “Four hours daily. Everyday. Running one hour every morning, three hours of gym work, and the most difficult thing for one are maintaining your own diet.”
When asked about how he got into boxing Barrera credits two uncles to taking him there, one of which turned pro, and although Marco Antonio was only a seven year old going into the gymnasium, he automatically had a kinship with it. He says he had a liking to that nervous energy he felt earlier in stepping through the gyms ropes putting on his boxing gloves. Marco’s mother didn’t think he was serious about it and told them he’d soon forget it as no more than a passing thing. Mrs. Barrera was about to get another version to Marco’s discovery, and he has never looked back. He sees himself as retired by the time he’s reached aged thirty-six, and then he can reflect on his career. For now he is far too busy placing his titles up to be thinking of it. He simply says its like everything that begins has got to end, and has nothing but time on his side to make the most about his boxing.
One hard question was hurdled at Barrera by Don Francisco, the big one that not many would dare ask, but he did. He asked what does it feel to get knocked out?
Barrera smiling up at the camera lens said, “Well when they knock you down, practically you don’t feel anything (Daddy Yankee sitting at his right laughs) (Barrera pauses and giggles also), you’re already on the canvas opening your eyes, but its part of the emotion for getting up and continuing to fight. Its one of those precious desires that only one could live inside of the ring.”
Barrera reiterates on his having been depressed back in ’97 with his fight against Junior Jones, Marco being undefeated in forty some odd fights entering that first fight with Jones, and he wasn’t prepared for the victory. MAB admits the loss saying, “He knocked me out, sent me down to the canvas on two occasions, I parted away from the ring for two years afterward because I thought that my boxing career was indeed finished.”
On Naz Hamed being the 25-1 favorite: That was in 2001, and he was a naturalized Englishman, an Arab. He had a 35-0 record with 34 knockouts, having beaten nine world champions, always spectacular in his outings. It was a hard fight that there weren’t those many punches, but just in intelligence being used in there and to demonstrate that nothing is written in boxing, right? We knew that we were going to win that fight. The key to that victory was to not be intimidated by any of his antics, on the contrary, to not show any respect to him. And I believe it served to graduate me boxing wise.
Barrera, recalling the early morning 3 AM drills he and his family would endure running to not impede his studies from falling short behind his preparatory scholastic achievements strived for many times. Imagine having your entire clan devoted to running mountainous terrains along side you as a real support system for keeping you up with your schooling grades to get in time for classes, something that did happen with much more regularity than you would think had.
Marco Antonio had expressed a profound desire to the eminent fight for his fourth title at Lightweight, which was taken on the DLH portal of his site for what the fans voting on what they’d really want for Barrera to do. He also hinted at the possibility of a fourth El Terrible Morales fight since Erik still feels there’s unsettled issues to determine over their previous fight breathing at his heels (one in which Barrera had won).
These times Barrera talks fondly of his two sons; and much like any other fighter doesn’t like for them to be prizefighters; although he has his support should that be the case; fighting he insists is not a game. Barrera himself had to make much sacrifices to where he is, and he simply tells the audience that education is the key to all truer successes behind the microphone, and you are almost immediately taken listening to him in that he is well educated and wiser beyond his years enough whenever he says that to you, Marco values a good and thorough education. For him there is no substitute. Its all part of his upbringing that touches ground for the betterment, and he doesn’t put a band-aid to obscure the necessity to the crisis.
Many people who educate themselves overseas find hard times enough to reeducate themselves once they’ve come to the United States shores to finding out that they have to take courses all over again to qualify here; on the other hand you’ve got others that have been here just not into the books. Barrera stresses for you to keep your nose in those affairs of study; he’s a class act so exceptional; with the supporting family and his god sent friend Dr. Ignacio Madracio.
