IBF junior lightweight champion Robbie “Bomber” Peden is very relaxed going into his unification clash with WBC junior lightweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera on September 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 31 year-old Australian is avoiding any hype surrounding the fight and is just treating it as another fight, despite facing a Mexican legend.
“Every fight seems the same to me,” Peden told SecondsOut on Monday. “I have headlined smaller cards before, but it is just another fight. A lot of people get carried away. Some say it is a super fight and it may be, but I am not too worried about that kind of stuff. He’s got two hands. I’ve got two hands. Lets throw them.”
Peden 25-2 (14) won the IBF title on February 23 in Melbourne when he stopped American Nate Campbell by 8th round TKO. 31 year-old Barrera 60-4 (42) won the WBC title in his thrilling third battle with arch rival Erik Morales on November 27 last year and then defended it successfully against Mzonke Fana on April 9.
While they are facing each other for the first time in a real fight, they know each other very well. When Barrera was preparing for his second fight with Erik Morales, he was sparring with Peden in February 2002 at Big Bear, California and the Mexican sustained a broken rib causing the fight to be postponed three months.
“He knows me. I know him,” acknowledged Peden. “You can say it is a benefit or a negative. I have seen a lot of him in the gym. He has seen a lot of me. But we both might fight differently this time.”
Since their sparring sessions three years ago, Peden feels that he has improved so much. “I can guarantee you that,” he said. “I still do my hard work, but I’m a lot more confident fighter. We are both proud fighters and the money don’t matter. We just fight to win. He’s had his turn as one of the pound for pound champions of the world and now I want mine.”
Peden has been in camp with trainer Roger Bloodworth in St Petersburg, Florida since July 8 and says that he is feeling “enormous”.
“Everything is going great,” he said. “I have got 140 rounds in. All the hard work is done. I’m just winding down now. I’ve had some great sparring with David Santos, Naoufel Ben Rabah, Ben Cruz and Brendan Rios. I’m ready to roll. I’m not going to trash talk anyone, never do, never will. I’m just ready to roll. I’ll just go do my job.”
After representing Australia at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, Peden based himself in the USA permanently in his quest for world title glory and only ever wanted to fight the best available. Winning the IBF title finally opened the doors for the opportunity he wished for.
“This is the best division out there,” he said. “You have three pound for pound top ten fighters in Barrera, (Erik) Morales and (Manny) Pacquiao. You will see my name there soon. I haven’t had a big enough name in the past or had something to bargain with to get these fights. Now I have a belt, I was in a much better position to get the fight with Barrera. I just have to go out and do my thing now and when I win, if any of the other title-holders want to fight me, I’ll be undisputed champion very soon.”
The fight will be shown live in the USA from 9pm Eastern and 6pm Pacific time on HBO Pay-Per-View. In Australia, the card will be seen live from 11am AEST on September 18 on Main Event Pay-Per-View, Fox Sports Pub & Club Vision and Sky Channel. The co-featured bout will see “Sugar” Shane Mosley against Jose Luis Cruz at welterweight.
Peden leaves his camp in Florida on Sunday for a Monday press conference in Los Angeles before arriving in Las Vegas on Monday night.
While he is the underdog and a genuine betting outsider going into the fight, Peden has no doubt that he is going to emerge victorious.
“Check it out,” Peden told his fans back in Australia. “Make sure you are tuning in. You are going to see the first Australian born unified world champion. Make sure you get on at 6 to 1, it is a great price for a two horse race and this horse has got the better legs.”
