WORD HAS reached the camp of Marco Antonio Barrera that a rematch with Manny Pacquiao has already been penciled for Sept. 15 in Las Vegas although no official announcement has been made either by Barrera’s promoter Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) or Pacquiao’s promotional arm, Top Rank.
In a story that appeared on Mexico’s huge daily sports paper ESTO, Barrera even expressed excitement over the prospects of colliding for the second time with the Filipino southpaw.
Barrera told the paper that he had initially thought that a second meeting with Juan Manuel Marquez, who beat him on points last March 17, is being arranged but he was surprised that it is Pacquiao, and not Marquez, who is being lined up for him.
After Pacquiao dismantled Jorge Solis in San Antonio last week, the name of Marquez was the one being floated not only by Pacquiao and his entourage but by ringsiders as well.
Still, Top Rank chief Bob Arum, days before the Pacquiao-Solis duel, bared that Barrera remains in the mix of possible Pacquiao foes in the near future.
“That’s still an attractive fight,” said Arum, referring to a Pacquiao-Barrera rematch.
Pacquiao mauled Barrera when they squared off in 2003.
The Mexican blamed mental distractions for the 11th-round knockout loss, saying: “I was not prepared mentally.”
Barerra and Marquez remain under contract with GBP, which is owned by Oscar De La Hoya.
Another big-name slugger in the super-featherweight ranks of 130 lbs, New York-based Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic, is also with GBP.
Apart from Pacquiao, Top Rank only has one other marketable guy in the division – Mexican Humberto Soto – who is slated to battle Pacman’s younger brother, Bobby on June 9 at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Soto is a battle-hardened puncher who has what it takes to upset Pacquiao, and perhaps the other division’s top guns.
