Marco Antonio Barrera’s archrival, Erik Morales, was upset last week by unheralded Zahir Raheem.
Don’t expect the “Baby-Faced Assassin” to suffer the same fate when he meets former sparring partner Robbie Peden (7 p.m., Saturday, HBO pay-per-view) in Las Vegas. He doesn’t have trouble getting up for the smaller fights.
Made-to-order
During the past few years, the three-division champion has been served up his share of sacrificial lamb, including Kevin Kelley and, this past April, the inept Mzonke Fana in El Paso.
Both resulted in blowouts.
And while Peden is a step up from the aged Kelley and the hapless Fana, he still is made-to-order for the recognized junior lightweight champion.
The native Australian is as tough as they come — but attacks in a line. Mexico City’s Barrera, 60-4 (42 knockouts), one of the best fighters on the planet, should have little trouble handling such a limited slugger.
The challenger, 25-2 (14 KO’s), may make it interesting for a while because he knows Barrera like his own shadow. But he eventually will succumb — probably around the 8th or 9th round.
The more pressing question is, after a year in which Barrera has destroyed a pair of no-hopers, which elite fighter will he meet in 2006?
The most obvious answer appears to be the winner of the still-scheduled January rematch between Morales and Manny Pacquiao, who stopped Hector Velazquez Saturday on the Raheem-Morales card.
A fourth Barrera-Morales fight lost some luster with “El Terrible’s” defeat to Raheem, but it’s far from dead. If Morales beats Pacquiao again — and because he is bigger and stronger than “Pac-Man”, that is a probability — Barrera-Morales 4 would be as big as ever.
If Pacquiao overcomes the physical disadvantages and beats Morales, however, then he surely will meet Barrera in a rematch of their November 2003 fight. Underdog Pacquiao decimated Barrera, who was so outgunned that he appeared to be finished as a serious fighter.
That assessment, obviously, was way off.
Barrera-Pacquiao 2 suddenly would be the biggest fight in boxing. And it would have the redemption angle. Barrera still claims that the fires that ravaged Southern California and forced him to flee training camp, coupled with his “brain surgery” controversy, distracted him and resulted in an 11th-round TKO loss.
His performances since then indicate that, perhaps, he had a point.
Sugar-Tomato Can?
Former three-time champion Shane Mosley, 40-4 (35 KO’s), meets undefeated Jose Luis Cruz — the only intriguing offering in a Golden Boy Promotions show that is probably not worthy of your pay-per-view dollars.
Pomona, Calif., native Mosley seems to have lost a step since his upset victory against Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but appears much more comfortable at welterweight. And while Mexico’s Cruz, 32-0-2 (27 KO’s), undoubtedly is tough, his record is dotted with nobodies. The most recognizable name appears to be a 2001 victory against Jorge Vaca — who reigned as welterweight champion 17 years ago.
