Marco Antonio Barrera avoided Manny Pacquiao?s power but not the result. Three years ago, Manny Pacquiao knocked Barrera down several times and out in the eleventh round of a brawl. Barrera kept his distance and remained upright in last night?s rematch at Mandalay Bay, but Pacquiao won an easy unanimous decision.
Judges Jerry Roth and Glenn Trowbridge scored the bout 118-109. Tom Schreck, like TigerBoxing, had the bout much closer at 115-112.
The resulting bout was short on action, as Pacquiao tried unsuccessfully to draw the legendary Mexican warrior into a brawl. Barrera kept his distance, however, and Pacquiao was unable to track him down.
Ironically, the few times that the fighters participated in extended exchanges, it was Barrera who got the better of Pacquiao. Any time Pacquiao landed a powerful left, Barrera responded with an immediate flurry of blows.
Barrera stunned Pacquiao midway through the second with an overhead right, and responded to a big Pacquiao right hand in the fifth with a series of combinations.
As the fight wore on, however, Barrera slowed considerably. His offense virtually dried up, and his counters were less furious. Pacquiao dominated the final minute of rounds six, nine and eleven, doing the majority of his damage. The latter attack opened a large cut underneath Barrera?s right eye.
What was perhaps Barrera?s best shot of the night turned out to be illegal. Late in the eleventh, he threw a huge overhand right that landed flush on the jaw, stunning Pacquiao. However, referee Tony Weeks was attempting to separate the two fighters at the time, and he assessed a one-point penalty on Barrera.
Barrera announced beforehand that the bout might be the last of his Hall of Fame career. If so, he leaves the sport on a losing note.
UNDERCARD
On the undercard of HBO?s Pay-Per-View telecast, WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano defended his title with a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Davis. The southpaw Luevano was more aggressive than expected, dominating the bout with a right-handed jab. Luevano almost dropped Davis with the jab late in the third, and opened a huge cut over Davis? left eye that attracted the attention of ringside doctors as the fight wore on. A right hook followed by a straight left floored Davis at the bell ending round eleven.
Judges Burt Clements and Levi Martinez had the bout 119-108. C.J. Ross agreed with TigerBoxing?s card at 118-109. Luevano moves to 34-1 while Davis fell to 24-4.
In a super middleweight bout, Librado Andrade struggled early but came back to win a knockout victory over Yusaf Mack.
Mack, a career counterpuncher came out swinging and dropped Andrade with a left hook a minute into the fight. The early success, and Andrade?s lack of attention to defense, lured Mack into a brawl. The departure from his comfort zone eventually blew up in Mack?s face, as he tired considerably later in the fight.
With a minute left in the seventh, Andrade landed a left hook, and a weary Mack took a knee to recover. After the count, Andrade threw a right to the body and a left to the head that sent Mack back down. Once action started again, an uppercut put Mack down again, and the referee had seen enough. The end came at 2:34 of the seventh. The knockout was Andrade?s twentieth, moving him to 26-1. Mack fell to 23-2-2.
In the opening bout, Steve Forbes (33-5) won a split decision over Francisco Bojado (18-3). The judges rewarded Forbes activity level over Bojado?s power. It was Bojado that landed the fiercest blows of the bout, but Forbes threw more often and wore Bojado down in the late rounds. Duane Ford and TigerBoxing had the bout scored 96-94 for Forbes. Herb Santos gave Forbes the win with a 97-93 card. Chuck Giampa was outvoted after turning in a 96-94 card in Bojado?s favor.
