Conventional wisdom suggested that for Marco Antonio Barrera to upset Manny Pacquiao that he would have to box and counterpunch the hard charging, frenetic Filipino. Barrera was expecting Pacquiao to come at him high and hard with fastballs. Instead, it was ‘the Pac Man’ that threw a change-up Barrera’s way, employing deft movement, judicious use of his jab and improved defensive skills to easily outpoint the Mexican legend.
Their first encounter in 2003 was a two-fisted mugging, where Barrera would be overwhelmed in 11 rounds. This past Saturday night, in front of a crowd of just over 10,000 partisans, Pacquiao would comprehensively outbox Barrera. His in-and-out movement and feints never let the Mexican legend get a good sense of timing that is so crucial for a counterpuncher. And when they did volley, it was Pacquiao who possessed the faster hands and dominated the exchanges.
“It’s harder this time because both of us had the same style, counterpuncher,” Pacquiao would say of the rematch. “He was surprised that I was going to counterpunch him. Both of us were waiting for who was going to punch first.”
By the late rounds it was clear that Pacquiao would win by boxing and picking his spots. Barrera would win in going the distance with the world?s best fighter before walking off into the sunset.
“I’m just an ordinary fighter,” said a humble Pacquiao at the post-fight press conference, “that can fight a good fighter and the best fighters.” He would add later, “I never underestimated Barrera.”
It was not vintage Pacquiao, but a more calculating one. To his trainer Freddie Roach, it’s part of his evolution as a professional prizefighter.
“It wasn’t perfect but it was good. He feinted him a lot, but he didn’t take advantage of it a couple times though. I thought he could’ve been a little busier because Barrera really didn’t want to exchange that much,” was his assessment.
Since hooking up with Roach in 2001, Pacquiao has continued to add dimensions to his overall skill set.
“Someone told me that Manny just had speed and power. So I said, ‘OK, I’m going to work on the right hand.’ So then I worked on the right hand. Now, I’m working on his boxing ability. We’re trying to make him a better overall fighter with a longer, better career. You could see his defense was a lot better tonight, his head movement was pretty good, his footwork was good in spots. But we’re still working on it.”
Roach admits that this development is taking place with an eye towards the future. At 135, Pacquiao will not be able to just blow through his opponents as he has at lower weights.
But before he moves up to lightweight, he has unfinished business at 130.
“Manny Pacquiao has been going through Mexican fighters,” said Oscar De La Hoya the promoter. “We have one with the initials JM – Juan Manuel Marquez.” Marquez, who faces Rocky Juarez on November 3rd, is handled by Golden Boy Promotions. “I think that’s a fight that a lot of fans want to see.”
In his last three bouts, Pacquiao has faced two faded Mexican legends in Barrera and Erik Morales and was given a gimme in Jorge Solis in San Antonio this past April. Back in 2004, Marquez would get off the deck three times in the first round to give Pacquiao perhaps his toughest stylistic bout. After some head-scratching managerial decisions over the past few years cost Marquez – not only a rematch with Pacquiao, but his title belts – he has bounced back to beat Barrera back in March and re-establish himself as one of the game?s best pound-for-pound performers.
The time has come for Pacquiao-Marquez II.
But the only problem is that Pacquiao could be moving up to 135-pounds, and there is talk of him facing WBC lightweight titlist David Diaz. Roach admits his fighter had problems making the jr. lightweight limit. “The thing is, we were so light in the Philippines because it was so hot there, and then when we came to America, he just took it for granted that it was going to be the same – and it wasn’t. We just didn’t monitor the weight. I’m not going to take his word for it anymore.”
But could Pacquiao, who won his first world title at 112 pounds, fight effectively as a lightweight, alongside the plethora’s of Diazes, Casamayors and Katsidises of the world?
“We were talking about that and I think he definitely can because he came into the ring tonight at 144 and he’s really developed into a big, strong guy,” said Roach. “130, it’s getting a little harder to make for him.”
Pacquiao would say, “Well, anytime. I can fight at 135 pounds. So there is no problem and we’re planning to fight at 140 – we’re kidding.”
It’s not clear what direction Pacquiao will go.
“That’s up to Manny.” said Bob Arum, who shares the promotional rights of Pacquiao with Golden Boy. “See, it’s not mutually exclusive; in other words, if Manny decides to go up to lightweight and fights David Diaz, why can’t he make his first title defense against Juan Manuel Marquez?”
That fight needs to happen – at whatever weight, in 2008 – there is a deadlock that needs to be broken between the two.
Pacquiao showed he can outbox and counterpunch an older Barrera. Could he do it against someone who’s done it better than everyone else that past decade?
Let’s hope we get a chance to find out.
THE UNDERCARD
Here are my thoughts on the undercard….
– Steve Forbes W10 Francisco Bojado: I thought it was poetic justice that Forbes won this fight. He was the steadier, more consistent boxer, while Bojado just fought in spurts. After what happened to Forbes the last time in Las Vegas, it would’ve been a miscarriage of justice for him to have the nod go the other way (again).
Bojado, the bout before this one, was six pounds over the contracted weight. Here, he was just three. So I guess some progress is being made. But is this situation just hopeless?
– Librado Andrade TKO7 Yusaf Mack: Andrade is one of those fighters that looks easy to beat in theory because of his lack of speed and technical flaws, but it’s much more difficult in reality because of his durability, toughness and strength. When you face him, it’s a race to the finish line, and oftentimes, you may open up an early lead on him, but you may not see the end.
Mack, who dropped Andrade hard in the first round with a big left hook, had success early on with ripping combinations and clever work off the ropes. But the steady pressure and pounding of Andrade made him collapse suddenly in the seventh. He would hit the canvas thrice before the bout was waved off. Mack, at that point, was leading on all three cards by a score of 58-55.
Again, beating Andrade looks easy, but it ain’t.
– Steven Luevano W12 Antonio Davis: No, it wasn’t an eye-opening outing for Luevano, but he’s showing himself to be pretty good professional prizefighter. I think he looked better versus ‘T-Rex’ than the highly touted Joan Guzman, who decisioned him back in December. He outboxed him on the outside, and hurt him to the body on the inside and held up well when Davis would attack.
Luevano has always been a very good boxer, but he’s added a nice shotgun jab and body work to his arsenal. He’s not spectacular, but he is sound and steady. And that can take you places in this game.
BYE BYE BARRERA
There were a few tears shed at the post-fight presser as Barrera announced his retirement from the game after his loss to Pacquiao. Barrera was gracious in defeat and seemed content at not only the way the bout had gone, but his career and life in general.
For him, this was not a sad occasion, but a celebration of a segment of his life that was so good to him. He would thank the various people that helped him throughout his career and he smiled broadly. Regardless of the decision on this night, he left the sport a winner.
He was given a standing ovation by those at the press conference and it was well deserved. The game of boxing will miss Marco Antonio Barrera. They don’t come around often.
FINAL FLURRIES
Is Stanford’s upset of USC bigger than Douglas-Tyson?…. Or is Notre Dame winning a game at all bigger than both of them?….I think Bruin coach Karl Dorrell should start packing his bags in Westwood….Mark Taffett of HBO PPV told me on Saturday that they have made a deal to carry the Roy Jones-Felix Trinidad bout on January 19th at the Garden. I don’t know if that’s old news, but I know I hadn’t heard it…..My personal favorite Barrera bout? Had to be turning Prince Hamed into a pauper. But his best fight? I say his first one with Morales….There’s a chance that Jeff Lacy will be making an appearance on the December 8th show featuring Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton. He was spotted having dinner with some of the Golden Boy brass on Friday night….Seriously, can you believe that USC lost to Stanford?!?! That Jim Harbaugh is an up-and-coming coach. I’d buy stock in him…..
