REIGNING WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera has challenged Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao in a rematch should the latter win his upcoming marquee bout next week.
Boxing website Fightnews.com yesterday posted a story that quoted Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Eric Gomez about Barrera’s desire to again face Pacquiao on March 25.
Golden Boy Promotions, owned by boxing icon Oscar Dela Hoya, is the current promoter of Barrera which staged the last five fights of the Mexican idol.
The 27-year-old Pacquiao meanwhile is in the thick of preparations for his 12-round battle on January 22 (Manila Time) with another Mexican supremo Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
“If Pacquiao wins, we are willing to make the fight happen on March 25. But, if he wins and gets injured, we could wait for him an extra month or so,” disclosed Gomez in the said article.
The 31-year-old Barrera, in having a lock at a March 25 fight date at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, initially toyed at the idea of aiming at the world lightweight crown against defending champ Jesus Chavez of Mexico.
But Barrera (61-4, 42 KO’s) eventually realized that the lightweight division may be too heavy for him apart from admitting that Chavez poses as a great risk for the current 130-lb ruler.
Chavez won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight tiara by defeating Leavander Johnson that resulted in the tragic death of the dethroned champion September of last year.
Other fighters being considered by Barrera for the March 25 date are WBO ruler Jorge Barrios and WBA kingpin Vicente Mosquera.
Pacquiao and Barrera locked horns last November 2003 in San Antonio, Texas where the Filipino fighter pulverized the Mexican warrior inside 11 rounds.
The win catapulted Pacquiao’s career to where he is at the moment, earning millions of dollars four fights after his momentous whipping of Barrera.
Since losing to Pacquiao (40-3-2, 32 KO’s), Barrera has scored four straight victories and regained the splendour of his career on November 2004 when he defeated Morales for the WBC crown.
Barrera’s last outing was on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas, scoring a 12-round verdict over Aussie Robbie Peden in a WBC title defense.
