This weekend Marco Antonio Barrera will face off against John Manuel Marquez in a fight that will give the winner a shot at one of the most significant fights in the lower weight classes. Ace Freeman breaks it down!
Saturday night, March 17, 2007, Juan Manuel Marquez will get his long awaited shot at fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera under boxing’s brightest lights in Las Vegas Nevada. For most of the previous decade Marquez fought in the shadow of fellow Mexican superstars Eric Morales and Barrera. While they endeared themselves to boxing’s mainstream fans in thrilling high profile pay-per-views, Marquez quietly put together a resume worthy of pound-for-pound status. His lack of star power ultimately caused him to miss out on numerous showdowns with the top fighters in his division.
Barrera’s star grew brighter and brighter during those years. Victories over Prince Naseem Hamed and Eric Morales had the “Baby Faced Assassin” in the upper echelon of boxing’s elite. It was only when Barrera met up with Manny Pacquiao that his stock took a hit as the young Pinoy fighter put a monumental beating on Barrera, stopping him in 11 rounds.
Pacquiao moved from the destruction of Barrera straight into a matchup with the largely avoided Marquez. Storming out of the gate, Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first round. But in a brilliant display of heart and determination, Marquez picked himself up and came back to win a majority of the remaining rounds to earn a disputed draw.
Unfortunately it took several years before Marquez would get another crack at the spotlight. A controversial loss to Indonesia’s Chris John had the potential to throw Marquez’s career off track. But pressing forward, he has looked impressive in his last few outings and subsequently earned this shot at Barrera who has also spent the last few years redeeming himself since his loss to Pacquiao.
The fight itself pits the calculated boxer-brawler in Barrera against the game and sharp counter-punching of Marquez.
Two tough fights against Rocky Juarez last year have many people wondering if the shop-worn Barrera is starting to show his age, thus giving an edge to a hungrier and seemingly sharper Marquez. However, Barrera’s past heroics in an underdog role make him tough to count out in this fight while Marquez’s lack of experience in marquee fights leaves some room for speculation.
The real prize on the line for the winner of this fight is a high-profile rematch with Manny Pacquiao. Both men have unfinished business with the Pacman, who scored five knock downs between the two of them. That fight would surely become one of the most attractive matchups in the sport, pitting two pound-for-pound elite fighters against one another.
Will Marco Antonio Barrera pull another ace performance out of his hat? Or will Juan Manuel Marquez hand Barrera his exit papers en route to a chance at redemption against Manny Pacquiao? The boxing world eagerly awaits.
