BARRIOS, BARRERA, MORALES, BEST AT 130 LBS.
Las Vegas, NV-Foe a short time here we will totally disavow, ignore if you will the hysteria created by Manny Pacquiao’s beat down of Erik Morales, just a fortnight ago. Forget the Presidential visits, the recently released CD, the parades, and all the adulation bestowed upon the fiery Filipino warrior for now. In this piece, we’ll take the top three threats at 130 lbs. for Manny and match them head to head. As it turns out, the threesome of fighters in this super feather or junior lightweight weight division that are of Pacquiao’s ilk, it really isn’t a trio at all.
HARD TO SAY MANNY WOULDN’T EASILY REPEAT!
Having already KO’d both Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales, you would have to not only favor Pacquiao in further conflicts, but considerably. With his 66th fight against IBF 135 lb. guy Jesus Chavez signed for March, one really has to eliminate Barrera from the Pacquiao list of available foes, at least for the moment. And while experts are split on Chavez-Barrera, his promotional company Golden Boy Promotions is letting the 61-4 Barrera set the agenda with this lightweight (135) go.
IF ERIK WERE ON MENU, EATERY WOULD CLOSE!
Imagine you were in a Mexican restaurant, and ordered the “Erik Morales Special.” The meal would start out with some extremely stale tortilla chips. You push the bowl away from you, right after realizing the first bite was indeed, “Terrible.” Any further consumption, and Montezuma’s revenge would surely result. As a fighter with a 14-year tenure, Morales, has a professional record of 48-4. His promoter Bob Arum, with his sights set on a September fight with Manny in Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, hopes to push Erik up the steps at least one more time.
MORALES SOUNDS TERRIBLE AS WELL
Having listened to Morales of late, money is the only reason for a third tangle with Pacquiao. Because at the end of the night, the final result of this third fight, it will have damaged Erik far more than the money he’ll make will be a benefit. Like life, boxing is give and take! In this instance, Erik, in my opinion, will be giving up a lot more than he can derive from a third fight with Pacquiao. Bottom line, Erik Morales is shotski!
“PACMAN” NEVER MENTIONS REAL THREAT BARRIOS
The odd man out, AKA the “avoided” one is WBO 130 lb. titleholder Jorge Barrios. Haling from Buenos Aires, Argentina, he is 41-2-1, with 32 early showers. He grabbed the WBO trinket with a pronounced thumping of Mike Anchondo, this occurring in April 2005. The two professional setbacks the 29-year old Barrios has on his resume bring no shame. Most notable is a last round stop at the hands of a “prime” Acelino Freitas (135 lbs), and a DQ a dozen fights into his career, against a 50-fight veteran. Of all of the upper echelon 130 lb. fighters, Barrios, a natural lightweight, looks to be both stronger, and bigger than the Pacman. One might even favor Barrios over Pacquiao.
ACRI SAYS BARRIOS “TOO WIDE” A PUNCHER
With a record of being a pretty good judge in pugilistic talent, Erie, PA, promoter Mike Acri, weighed in Wednesday. “I think Barrios pitches too wide. And he might be a little shot. He had great fights with Anchondo, and Freitas, but Pacquiao might be able to see everything coming. I could be wrong, but it would be a heck of a fight if it were made.”
BARRIOS GOING NEXT UNDER MOSLEY-VARGAS
Having defended the WBO belt once, that and a non-title tiff have been the extent of Barrios’ fights since his drilling Anchondo in April. Come February 25th, those tuning into the Shane Mosley-Fernando Vargas HBO PPV telecast will get to see the Argentine phenomenon in the flesh. Standing across the ring will be Janos Nagy, an unbeaten lad (23-0), and a southpaw from Hungary. Should Barrios tear a pugilistic hole in Nagy, which I expect him to do, he will have cemented his position as the #1 challenger at 130 lbs. for Manny Pacquiao.
Pedro Fernandez
