THEY CLAIMED Marco Antonio Barrera, first Mexican to have made Manny Pacquiao super famous, would be defending his world title.
Barrera was absent for that official chore on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) in California.
The fellow who fought the shorter Rocky Juarez was a flabby cop who had stolen the world super featherweight boxing title.
Worse, this dumb fellow was allowed to flash that bogus crown like an official breast badge to con the boxing world.
With his condition, the poseur should have been brought into the ring in a wheelchair.
He looked every soft, slow inch super fit for retirement.
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Of course, that over-the-hill fighter they had identified as Barrera lost to Juarez.
No, correction please: The first tally of the scores bared the fight had ended in a draw.
That result officially announced by Mike Buffer to the whole world was readily received with jeers.
Juarez, shorter but definitely firmer, sharper, faster won it clear in the eyes of ringside fans and television viewers.
That foul result, predictably rejected by majority of fans, would have already retained for Barrera the WBC 130-lb. title.
There was disbelief and derision when the corrected (doctored?) count in the papers the morning after said Barrera had actually won via a split decision.
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It was anything but a draw. In fact, going by their respective post-fight looks, the bloodied, battered Barrera, who visibly forgot his defensive weapons in the dugout, would appear like a victim of a sordid mismatch.
In truth, it was Juarez, silver medal winner for the US in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, who became a victim of a mismatch — in the hands of two judges.
Barrera, both pathetic and pitiful, should have been taken out on a stretcher, sent straight to the hospital.
Instead, the blasted bogus champ was allowed to slur Manny Pacquiao in a talk with the eminent Larry Merchant.
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Barrera said Juarez, with deeper style and more movements, is a whole lot better than Pacquiao.
Barrera, stopped by Pacquiao in the 11th in 2003, proceeded to call Pacquiao limited, one-dimensional.
Sorry, se?or, but nobody who knows his boxing would ever buy that cheap claim.
Juarez is not a bad boxer. But one dumb, shallow fighter will always make an ordinary but fit boxer appear sharp and great.
With his condition, the masquerading Barrera would have been stopped cold by Pacquiao even if the RP prizefight marvel used only his left hand.
The weary, wasted Mexican must return the stolen crown.
His dumb act against the obscure Rocky Juarez was a slur on the nobility of true, worthy world champions.
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(ASSISTANCE: A timely tip from Manolito “Boy” Gonzales of Mandaluyong: Tune in to the radio program “Kaya Mo Ba ’To?”, dzRM 1278 khz every Sunday 2-3 p.m.; it’s rich in vital information for everybody. In one segment alone, families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to avail of direct housing loans from the Social Security System (SSS) are given valuable advice. Gonzales, who works under philanthropist Ruperto Tan of Eterton Multi-Resources Corp., a program sponsor, said interested OFWs may text Rene Punzalan for assistance (0919-7349704). Gonzales could be contacted at tel. 532-7021. There’s a segment on English proficiency, before the program winds up with a 10-minute relaxation session of stress-relieving, energy-recharging exercises. Wow!)
