For a long while certain boxing writers from certain Internet boxing web-sites and boxing magazines were telling their readers that Marco Antonio Barrera was maybe afraid of matching his skills against Juan Manuel Marquez. That his team was making sure that Barrera never faced the native of Mexico City who is a stellar technician in his own right with a warrior’s heart. Juan Manuel Marquez, has long been a favorite among boxing purists for his counterpunching brilliance and willingness to gut it out in the trenches when necessary was being considered to good for Barrera to deal with. These same certain boxing writers were saying that people within Barrera’s very own camp were whispering, “No way in hell are we going to allow Marco to tangle with Marquez. He’s all wrong for us.”
What did I think of this?
Bullshit!
Marco Antonio Barrera is one of the best fighters we have seen in the last 10 years. He is one of the most storied Mexican fighters ever, he has defied description with a 17-year career that has seen him not only beat the best from 118 to 130 in the world and collect world championships in three weight classes while doing it, but has shown the ability to adapt from boxer or brawler equally, depending on the situation.
He is by definition a true professional prize fighter.
He is one of those fighters that people have written off more than once and he has proven that not only does he like to win but that he likes to prove his doubters wrong as well. His place in the Boxing Hall of Fame is secured.
He has never walked away from a challenge. Never! Yes he has had lost his share of fights. Being stopped twice by the likes of Junior Jones and Manny Pacquiao. After the disappointing loss to Jones, Barrera took a well-deserved ten-month break from the ring. And when he returned against Angel Rosario in February of 1998, skeptics believed that Barrera had been burned out from too much boxing too soon.
They were wrong.
Rosario was stopped in five rounds, and two more KO victories followed for Barrera, who was then matched with Richie Wenton for the now vacant WBO super bantamweight title on October 31, 1998. Wenton was no match for the rested and rejuvenated Barrera, and was stopped in four rounds.
After his shocking loss to Philippine bomber Manny Pacquiao in November of 2003. Many people within the boxing circles believe that maybe Barrera’s time was up.
Rather his loss to Pacquiao was just a minor setback in his mind as Barrera jumped right back into the ring with one of boxing’s best, Paulie Ayala, in June of 2004, stopping the highly regarded champion in 10 rounds.
And then on November 27, 2004, Barrera and Erik Morales waged war against each other in the final chapter of their epic trilogy at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This time the WBC super featherweight crown was on line, and after 12 blistering rounds, Barrera jumped right back onto the pound for pound list with a exhilarating majority decision win over his hated rival, once and for all establishing his greatness among the boxing immortals in the eyes of boxing fans and writers alike.
And as evidenced by his recent wins over young gun Rocky Juarez in 2006, the 33-year-old Mexico City native has plenty left in his tank and it seems that he has a couple more chapters to write in his unfinished book.
So, when Marco Antonio Barrera squares off against Juan Manuel Marquez. I am more than certain he will once again be looking to silence the skeptics again.
I HEARD THERE WAS A HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT THIS WEEKEND.
Wladimir Klitschko knocked out some slug named Ray Austin in the second round of a 12-round heavyweight title bout to retain his IBF belt and improve to 48-3 (43) in front of his idolizing fans who packed the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany.
Where art thou. Joe Louis?
ROY JONES JR
Do you remember back in the day when Roy Jones talked more about fighting everyone and ended up fighting no one? There has been talk of rematches with Clinton Woods and Bernard Hopkins. Not surprisingly, none of it went anywhere. Jones’ latest plan to try and fool the public but give hope to his legion Roy Boys is a possible fall fight with Disputed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor at 170 pounds. Yawnnnn!!!!! Roy Jones Jr is indeed back!
THERE WAS ANOTHER HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT THIS WEEKEND?!
Sultan Ibragimov knocked out even a bigger slug than Ray Austin named Javier Mora. If you didnt know, Shannon Briggs was supposed to make his first title defense against Sultan Ibragimov this past Saturday in New York, but Briggs was recently diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. The fight was postponed so Briggs could get better and Ibragimov risked his standing by facing Javier Mora instead. Good Grief!
Where art thou. Larry Holmes?
MIKKEL KESSLER
Mikkel Kessler’s March 24 mandatory defense against dangerous Librado Andrade hasn’t been getting the same kind of hype that Allan “No Longer Mean” Green and Edison Miranda bout got but this has the makings of a much better fight on paper. This is the kind of fight that made “Boxing After Dark” earn the nickname BAD! Let’s hope this is a new beginning for HBO when they truly were building legends and not just raping the pockets of fight fans.
JOE CALZAGHE
Will Joe Calzaghe fight the winner of the above mentioned bout or will he continue to say that Hopkins is ducking him and that his legacy is secured because he beat a one dimensional slugger in Jeff Lacy?
HBO COUNTDOWN TO BARRERA-MARQUEZ:
This 30-minute documentary analyzing the fight between two of Mexico’s best had me reaching for money already. Great stuff.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“I didn’t choose this opponent.” –Wladimir Klitschko re Ray Austin.
BITS OF THIS AND THAT:
Since his struggle against hard-hitting Ricardo Torres. Miguel Cotto has been matched against the likes of Gianluca Branco, Paul Malignaggi, Carlo Quintana and Oktay Urkal. Boxers who canst punch. Does this give Judah hope? I say no because Zab Judah while may have more speed and power than Branco, Malignaggi, Quintana, Urkal, he’s not as technically sound not does he possess the grit or jaw of any of them. If Judah can’t KO Cotto within the first three rounds he will lose his focus and form like he always does when he faces even some slight resistance and I think that it will cost him BIG vs. Cotto.
The last thing I will say about PBF vs DHL until one week before the fight. Unless Oscar is going to change his genetic DNA I think this fight will not be an altogether difficult one to pick: Maywather by decision. He’s faster than De La Hoya and about as fast Mosley. A guy who gave Oscar trouble not once but twice. Maywather is more skilled as well. People like to harken back to Mayweather’s two bouts with Castillo. De La Hoya is NO Castillo.
Calm down Golden Boy fans. I am not saying that Castillo is the better fighter all I am saying is that De La Hoya doesn’t share Castillo’s style, which was so effective vs. Mayweather. Castillo is a very strong, very durable, pressure fighter, who knows how to cut the ring off and specializes in going to the body. De La Hoya is NOT a pressure fighter. He’s never been particularly great at or comfortable in cutting off the ring on a mobile boxer, if he was he would have done it against Whitaker and Mosley and he has never been known for concentrating on the body.
Never ever forget, fight fanatics, that in this game STYLES make FIGHTS!
And Mayweather’s style is all wrong for De La Hoya.
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