Alright, there is boxing on the horizon this upcoming week which we will get to later on. But I wanted to focus on Marco Antonio Barrera in this column. On Friday I saw on social media that it was his 51st birthday. It got me thinking, for as great as he was, he might actually be a bit underrated in retrospect.
(And January 17 is also the birthday of Muhammad Ali and Oleksandr Usyk, who I guess are pretty good, too. So happy belated birthday to those guys.)
In my view, Barrera is among the top 10 Mexicans of all-time, and one of the very best boxers I had the privilege to cover on this boxing beat. There's a reason why he's in the International Boxing Hall-of-Fame.
Beginning his career in 1989 in Mexico City as a teenager, he eventually latched on with Forum Boxing in Los Angeles where he was managed by the influential, Ricardo Maldonado. By 1995 he became a world champion as he defeated Daniel Jimenez over 12 rounds for the WBO super bantamweight title at the Anaheim Pond. Barrera quickly became one of the flagship champions for the relatively new sanctioning body.
Where Barrera truly burst onto the scene nationally was when he headlined the initial edition of 'Boxing After Dark' on HBO on February 3, 1996. 'the Baby Faced Assassin' waged a memorable 12 round war against the highly accomplished and respected, Kennedy McKinney, stopping him in the final round. 'BAD' could not have asked for a better start. In my view it was the last big fight night that the Forum ever hosted.
Marco Antonio Barrera vs Kennedy McKinney (Documentada)
From that point on, Barrera, was a known quantity to boxing fans over the world. However, just three fights later (which by the way, also took place in '96) he was stunned by Junior Jones that November in five rounds. The belief was that Barrera was your stereotypical Mexican, more brawler than scientific boxer.
But after losing a close rematch to 'Poison' in the spring of 1997, he did something that very few fighters are truly able to do -- he evolved. Barrera re-invented himself better than Madonna ever could. From the bright lights of HBO, Barrera was placed on Forum Boxing shows from venues like the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and Caesars Tahoe as he retooled himself. I distinctly remember watching him face the likes of Angel Rosario and Geronimo Cardoz on KCAL9 shows that were broadcast throughout Southern California.
Eventually, he picked up the WBO 122-pound belt, and was paired against Erik Morales in February of 2000. I don't really need to say too much about this rivalry that spanned over three fights. The first and third chapters are among the best bouts I've ever covered from press row. They were the Ali and Frazier of Mexican rivalries. They truly detested one another, and it showed inside that ring -- and even during press conferences. Barrera won the rubber match on Thanksgiving weekend of 2004.
Cuando BARRERA le pegó a ERIK MORALES
It's truly amazing that this duo are now co-hosting a successful podcast. This is the greatest turnaround in a relationship since 'Tom and Jerry'.
But in my view Barrera's crowning achievement was knocking 'Prince' Naseem Hamed off his throne in April of 2001. In retrospect, it seems illogical that Barrera was a 3-1 underdog coming in, but the perception was that Barrera was a one-dimensional face-first left hooker, who would get caught by the devastating power of the unorthodox Hamed. (Again, those boxing stereotypes.)
On this memorable night at the MGM Grand, Barrera riddled Hamed with his disciplined and strategic tactics. He worked off -- not his trademark left hook downstairs -- but an educated jab up top that controlled and corralled Hamed all night. As he lifted Hamed off his feet in the first with a hook, the Mexicans in the crowd erupted, and in many ways the fight was won right then and there. But it was really 36 minutes of a perfectly executed game plan.
For several more years Barrera was considered among the elite fighters in the world pound-for-pound. While he was blitzed by Manny Pacquiao in 2003, he still had a few more productive years before calling it a day in 2011. He finished his career with a mark of 67-7 (44 KOs). You wont find careers of that quantity and quality any more.
Barrera was an anomaly, someone who came from a middle class background that became a standout prizefighter. He had options, and Barrera chose this one and made the most out of it. Coming off the heels of the great Julio Cesar Chavez, he, Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez did an admirable job in carrying the torch for Mexico.
We should all be grateful that he didn't become a lawyer.
Viva Barrera.
