Today marks the 41st anniversary of one of the best boxers of recent decades, former world champion in three weight categories, Marco Antonio Barrera.
The Mexican fighter nicknamed the “Baby Faced Assassin” successfully fought his first professional fight when he was only 15! The case is rare, but not unique for one of the leading boxing powers, which traditionally cannot boast of a high level of well-being of its citizens.
Barrera now has 75 fights under his belt, which include battles with such authoritative champions as Manny Pacquiao, JuanManuel Marquez, Naseem Hamed, Johnny Tapia, Paulie Ayala, Kennedy McKinney…
But what made Marco Antonio a world-famous star and a dollar millionaire was the bloody trilogy with the only person whom he hated fiercely for many years.
CONTAMINATION – TITLE
It all started on February 19, 2002 in Las Vegas. The unification bout pitted the WBC world champion in the up to 55.3 kilogram weight category, Mexican Erik El Terrible (“Terrible”) Morales, and his compatriot Barrera, who held the WBO belt.
By that time, the fighting nicknames of Marco Antonio and Erika were already well known to boxing fans. But the opponents themselves called each other differently. Their mutual antagonism was partly due to long-term correspondence rivalry within the ropes, partly to local feuds (Barrera was a native of Mexico City, Morales was from Tijuana), but at its core was intense personal hostility. The larger “driver” Eric more than once called his opponent a “little gay,” while certified architect Marco Antonio ridiculed Morales’s colloquialism, lack of education and street habits.
What happened in the ring that winter evening made an indelible impression on the American public, spoiled by name knockouts Mike Tyson And Felix Trinidad, speed Roy Jones and a dazzling smile Oscar de la Hoya.
The audience was completely immersed in the atmosphere of the battle of two hurricanes, which was unleashed by the frantic “kids”. The highest tempo, dynamics and density of the fight were combined with the extraordinary performing skills demonstrated by both competitors.
In the fifth round, Morales was on the verge of a knockout, but managed to resist and regain the initiative. And when it seemed that Marco Antonio was noticeably tired of his own fierce attacks, Barrera suddenly rose up and snatched the championship rounds, managing to knock down his opponent.
When the referee Mitch Halpern raised the hand of the barely alive Eric after the final gong, and the famous ring announcer Michael Buffer proclaimed his victory by a split decision of the judges, there were more dissatisfied with such a verdict than those who agreed with it.
It got to the point that officials of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), after consulting, retained the championship regalia for Barrera, de facto refusing to recognize him as a loser!
SUITS DO NOT HINDER A FIGHT
If the official outcome of the Morales-Barrera fight, which quickly became a cult fight, did not suit many journalists, fans and even officials, then what can we say about Marco Antonio himself! It was quite obvious that organizing a rematch was only a matter of time.
However, the irreconcilable duelists decided to use their fists long before the second fight, which took place on June 22, 2002. During a joint press conference in Houston, Barrera suddenly asked Eric to answer for words about his allegedly unconventional sexual orientation.
This was followed by a lightning-fast right hook, which Morales tried to respond to with a series of punches, capped by a kick. After this, the boxers were separated, but the promoters made a sensible decision to no longer bring them face to face to the point of suicide.
At the end of the second battle, the opponents switched roles. Barrera, having decided to abandon continuous pressure and the desire to close the distance at all costs, turned the battle into a calmer direction, relying on devastating counterattacks.
As a result, leading analyst for HBO Harold Lederman concluded that at the end of 12 rounds Morales was stronger (115-113). It is noteworthy that he assessed the epic first fight clearly in favor of Marco Antonio (116-111).
But this time the official referees unanimously preferred Barrera, as if apologizing for the injustice committed two years earlier.
SIZE MATTERS
The final chapter of the historical confrontation was written on November 27, 2004. For the first time before the start of the classic Morales-Barrera battle, analysts and bookmakers identified an obvious favorite.
“Terrible” Eric, after the second fight with Marco Antonio, won six confident victories in a row, while his enemy was sensationally defeated by the rising star Manny Pacquia in November 2003. But that was not all... The WBC weight category championship belt was at stake in the third fight up to 59 kilograms, belonging to Morales.
It was believed that El Terrible felt very comfortable at this weight, while the limit was too high for Barrera. The reality exceeded all expectations: within a day after the official weigh-in, the reigning champion managed to gain 13 pounds! Thus, entering the ring in Las Vegas, Eric seemed 5 kilograms heavier than Marco Antonio. A colossal difference that even heavyweights could not help but feel...
But 30-year-old Barrera fought perhaps the best fight of his life that day. Already in the debut, he firmly seized the initiative, without even thinking about avoiding the fierce exchange of blows and the battle with an open visor. In the second round, the “Baby-faced Killer” broke his opponent’s nose, and a wide hematoma gradually formed under Morales’ right eye.
Eric did not lay down his arms. He managed to even out the course of the battle, and in the end even seize the initiative. But, as El Terrible later told, in fights with his most important opponent, his emotions often let him down. Morales sought to “cut” Marco Antonio at any cost in every episode, often neglecting the battle plan that was carefully developed by his coach and father, Jose.
Be that as it may, Barrera won a close but deserved victory on points (115-113, 115-114, 114-114), took the championship belt from Morales and showed two fingers to the hated “Hillbilly”, thereby symbolizing that the last word in the long-standing the war was left behind him.
BY THE WAY
The first and third fights between Morales and Barrera were recognized as “fights of the year” (2000 and 2004, respectively) according to The Ring magazine.
Erik Morales is one of two Mexican boxers who managed to win championship titles in four weight categories. His compatriot Juan Manuel Marquez has not yet given up hope of becoming the sole owner of the national record.
Marco Antonio retired in 2011. Eric fought his last fight a year later.
THE BEAUTIFUL OF ANY WORDS
Barrera's reaction to Juan Manuel Marquez's knockout blow in his fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao. (Next to Marco Antonio is Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.).
- Full name : Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia
- Date of birth: January 17, 1974
- Place of Birth: Mexico City, Mexico
- Resides: Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico)
- Height: 168 cm
- Weight: 55 kg
- Speaker: in super flyweight (up to 52.2 kg), super lightweight (up to 55.34 kg), featherweight (up to 57 kg), super featherweight (up to 58.9 kg), lightweight (up to 61 kg)
- Stand: right-hand
It turns out that babies can also kill, or rather, knock out. At least one, the one with the baby's face. " Baby-faced killer“- this is how the Mexicans nicknamed one of their favorites - boxer Marco Antonio Barrera.
Fighter titles
Compatriots not only revere this athlete, they consider him a global sensation, a legendary national hero. And it is not just words. Over the years of performing among professionals, Marco has achieved dizzying success. These are world titles in the second bantamweight category according to the WBO (1995-1996, 1998-2000 and 2000), featherweight (WBC version, 2002) and second featherweight according to the WBC (2004-2007), and also - under the auspices of the IBF (2005).
Career and statistics
Barrera had his first fight at the highest level on November 22, 1989, and his last on February 12, 2011. Marco Antonio made his first blows in the ring as a child; the Mexican’s “amateurism” did not last long. He fought 60 fights, winning 56 and losing only 4. He climbed to the highest step of the podium at the Mexican Amateur Championship five times.
The ratings of the young talent were high, so the doors to professional sports were open for him, and 15-year-old Barrera was not intimidated, accepting the challenge of the strongest masters. However, already the first fight against David Felix at the end of 1989, which ended in a knockout in the second round in favor of Marco, indicated that the young man was on the right path. This became especially obvious when, on April 1, 1992, he knocked down 12 opponents and beat Josephino Suarez on points to win his first Mexican Super Flyweight title, and on August 28, 1993, the NABF Super Flyweight belt.
Subsequent victories gave Barrera the opportunity to compete for the world championship in the WBO. Success in the fight with Daniel Jimenez on March 31, 1995 meant the first significant victory in professional boxing - the WBO champion title, which the Mexican master managed to defend four times!
In general, 1995 was the most eventful and successful year for Marco. He was in excellent physical shape, smashing opponents left and right. The killer was stronger in all 39 fights, never losing, and knocked out 27 colleagues. However, the following year the picture changed dramatically. The confrontation between two boxers: Marco Barrera and Junior Johnson on November 22, 1996 was supposed to decide which of them would get the WBO belt. Naturally, most observers, assessing the ratings and statistics of the past year, gave preference to the Baby-Faced Killer. But the beauty of boxing is that miracles happen in it: neither in this fight, nor in the rematch five months later, fortune smiled on the Mexican: the American won twice.
Break and return of the fighter
Having said goodbye to the WBO champion belt, depressed by failures, Marco took a break. The Killer celebrated his next return in 1998, returning the WBO featherweight belt after a series of victories, and a year later he successfully defended it. In subsequent fights, the situation was ambiguous: the hero of Mexico was defeated in the unification fight between the world championships - WBC and WBO against Erik Morales on February 19, 2000. But in the match on April 7, 2001 with Nasim Hamed for the WBO super champion title, he won to the general jubilation of his compatriots. Marco Barrera (75-67-7) had everything in his career, but here’s the paradox: he lost his best fights, and there were two of them. Both are against the great Filipino Manny Pacquiao. The first - on November 15, 2003 for the world title according to The Ring, the second - on October 6, 2007 for the title of international world champion according to WBC.
Marco Antonio Barrera (Spanish: Marco Antonio Barrera; January 17, 1974 (19740117), Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican professional boxer who competes in the 2nd bantamweight category. World champion in the 2nd bantamweight (WBO version, 1995-1996, 1998-2000 and 2000), featherweight (WBC version, 2002) and 2nd featherweight (WBC version, 2004-2007; IBF version, 2005) weight categories.
Nickname: “Baby Faced Assassin.”
He made his debut in November 1989.
In March 1995, he defeated WBO super bantamweight world champion Daniel Jimenez.
In November 1996, Barrera was disqualified in a fight against Junior Jones.
In April 1997, Barrera lost again to Junior Jones in a rematch.
In October 1998, in a fight for the vacant WBO super bantamweight belt, Barrera knocked out Richie Venton.
In February 2000, a fight between two famous boxers took place - Marco Antonio Barrera and the undefeated Erik Morales. Morales won by split decision.
In March 2001, Barrera defeated the undefeated Naseem Hamed.
In June 2002, Barrera entered his second fight against the undefeated WBC featherweight world champion Erik Morales. This time Barrera won by unanimous decision.
In November 2002, Barrera defeated Johnny Tapia.
In April 2003, Marco Antonio Barrera met with Kevin Kelly. In the middle of the 1st round, Barrera landed a right cross to the jaw and a left hook there. Kelly collapsed onto the floor. He rose to the count of 5. Barrera tried to finish off his opponent, but Kelly began to run away from him. At the beginning of the 5th round, Kelly went on the attack. Barrera counterattacked with a left hook to the body, then a right hook there. Kelly went to the ropes. Barrera landed a right hook to the jaw. Kelly fell. He stood at the count of 5. Barrera rushed to the attack. He carried out several series of shots to the head and to the body. Under the influence of the blows, Kelly fell to the canvas again. He went up to the count of 9. Barrera began to beat his opponent, and the referee immediately stopped the fight. Kelly didn't argue.
In November 2003, Barera met with Filipino Manny Pacquiao. At the beginning of the 1st round, Pacquiao threw a left cross, but failed to keep his balance and fell. The referee counted the knockdown. The Filipino did not agree with him. When watching the replay, HBO commentator Larry Merchant said there was no punch from Barrera, so it was not a knockdown. At the beginning of the 3rd round, Pacquiao landed a deuce to the head, and the Mexican sat down in the ring. He stood at the count of 8. Pacquiao rushed to finish him off, but Barrera himself went on the attack. The Filipino was more successful in the exchange, but was unable to finish off the Mexican. In the middle of the 9th round, Barrera clashed with Pacquiao in a clinch. The referee gave the command "break", and at this time Barrera delivered a left hook to Pacquiao's jaw. The referee fined the Mexican one point. At the end of the 11th round, Pacquiao landed a deuce to Barerra's jaw. He tried to escape in the clinch, but was unable to enter it and fell to his knee. He stood at the count of 7. Pacquiao immediately went on the attack. He drove Barrera to the ropes and started bombing him. Seeing this beating, a representative of the Mexican’s corner rose to the ring and signaled to stop the fight. The referee stopped the fight.
In June 2004, Barrera knocked out Paulie Ayala.
In November 2004, the 3rd fight between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales took place. After 12 rounds, Barrera won by majority decision.
In March 2007, Barrera lost to Juan Manuel Marquez.
In October 2007, the 2nd fight took place between Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao outworked the Mexican. At the end of the 11th round, Pacquiao threw a large number of accurate punches to Barrera's head. The Mexican went into the clinch. The referee began to separate them, and then Barrera threw a left hook to Pacquiao's head. The referee deducted a point from the Mexican for this. After 12 rounds, the judges unanimously declared Pacquiao the winner.
In November 2008, Barrera easily defeated Sammy Ventura by TKO.
On January 31, 2009, he defeated Cuban Frodis Rojas, who was disqualified in the third round for a headbutt. The blow resulted in a severe cut for Barrera.
Based on Wikimedia
From time immemorial, the Mexican land was famous for its legendary boxers, whose names went down in history forever. At the same time, the distinctive features of all these fighters were courage, perseverance and composure. It goes without saying that when studying Mexican boxing, one cannot ignore such a personality as Marco Antonio Barrera - a man who became a sensation in his time and opened a new era in the squared circle of the ring. It is this outstanding athlete that will be discussed in this article.
The birth of a legend and the first steps in boxing
Barrera Marco Antonio was born on January 17, 1974. His hometown is Itztacalco. The Mexican's amateur career was relatively short: 56 wins and 4 losses. At the same time, he became the champion of Mexico among amateurs 5 times. The professional debut of the “baby-faced killer” (Barrera’s nickname) took place at the end of 1989, when he was only 15 years old. His first opponent at this level was Davis Felix, who was ultimately knocked out harshly by the young talent in the second round.
First title in the pros
After seventeen fights that Barrera Marco Antonio fought in the first two years of his professional career, he entered the fight for the national super bantamweight title. Josephino Suarez competed with him in that fight. As a result, Barrera won on points, and subsequently defended his title 5 times. August 1993 also turned out to be successful for our hero: he captured the NABF title.
First loss
In 1994, Barrera Marco Antonio took first place in the WBC rankings. This position allowed him to qualify for a contender's fight with No. 2 fighter Carlos Salazar. The winner of this fight received full right to fight the champion. Unfortunately, Marco was unable to challenge the title, despite his victory over his competitor, because he could not fit into the limit of his weight category.
Championship
March 31, 1995 became a landmark for the Mexican. It was on that day that he defeated Daniel Jimenez to become the WBO featherweight champion. Barrera stuck to his line throughout the fight and was able to achieve the desired result with scores of 116:111, 115:112 and 117:110.
In early 1996, Marco Antonio fought former IBF champion McKinney. The result of the confrontation was a knockout of the challenger in the 12th round. After this fight, the Mexican successfully defended his belt three times, after which an unexpected misfire occurred...
The bitterness of defeat
Barrera left the top against Junior Johnson. The loss occurred in the fifth round, and by knockout after a blow to the chin. Five months later, a rematch was organized and held, but this time too (albeit on points) Junior turned out to be better. This situation only strengthened the Mexican’s motivation, and he again began his journey to the top.
Return
Two consecutive defeats forced Barrera to literally destroy his next opponent, Angel Rosario, in the fifth three-minute period. After that there were two more victories by knockouts. This situation again allowed the assertive Marco Antonio to quickly enter the title fight.
On the last day of October 1998, Barrera once again tried on the WBO champion belt. To do this, he had to knock out Richie Venton in the third round. Over the next year, the Mexican defended his title twice with positive results.
Scandalous fight
Marco Antonio Barrera is a truly outstanding boxer in all respects, but even in his career there were extremely unfair decisions against him. This situation occurred on February 19, 2000, when in the opposite corner of the ring the Mexican saw This fight was a unification fight between two world championships: WBC and WBO. The fight turned out to be extremely tense and interesting for the spectators. The result was a split decision by the judges, who declared Morales the winner, who, by the way, was knocked down in the last round. This result caused a storm of emotions and a flurry of criticism, and the leadership of the WBO organization generally retained Barrera’s belt, because, in turn, they considered that it was he who won the fight.
Historical moment
April 7, 2001. Such a long-awaited fight for many boxing fans: Naseem Hamed - Marco Antonio Barrera. It was in this confrontation that the WBO super champion was to be determined.
The too arrogant and self-confident “Prince” was unable to adapt to the Mexican during the battle and impose his tactics and will. The Mexican acted on defense clearly, quickly and harshly, time after time punishing the Briton for excessive bragging. Ultimately, the victory naturally went to Barrera, who became a real national hero in his homeland.
Marco Antonio Barrera, according to many experts, had his best fights in a fight with the performing and now legendary Filipino. And even despite the fact that the Mexican was a loser both times (once by knockout), his desire to win and will were appreciated by absolutely everyone who saw these fights and followed the fate of the athlete.
Marco Antonio Barrera 01/17/1974
World champion in the 2nd flyweight (WBO version, 1995-1996, 1998-2000 and 2000), featherweight (WBC version, 2002) and 2nd featherweight (WBC version, 2004-2007; IBF version, 2005) weight categories. Nickname: "Baby Faced Killer".
Marco Antonio Barrera is the best Mexican boxer since Salvador Sanchez. It’s hard to believe now, but he was faced with a choice: to become a lawyer or a professional boxer. Contrary to the popular belief that successful fighters are born of poverty, Marco Antonio was from a fairly wealthy family. When Marco Antonio and his brother Jorge came to the boxing gym as children, the trainers immediately noticed Marco’s extraordinary talent for boxing.
Already at the age of 15, Marco Antonio had his first professional fight in his career. He fought his first fight against fellow newcomer David Felix and knocked him out in the second round. Barrera spent his first fights exclusively in Mexico. After 16 fights in which he won, 12 by knockout, he faced Jose Felix Montiel for the Mexican title. Having won twice, Marco Antonio received his first title. This happened in March 1992.
After several successful title defenses, Barrera fought his first fight outside of Mexico. In November 1992 in the USA, he knocked out Esteban Ayala in the 4th round. In March 1995, Marco Antonio defeated WBO super flyweight champion Daniel Jimenez.
In February 1996, Marco Antonio Barrera met with Kennedy McKinney. This was the debut of the HBO version of BAD - Boxing After Dark. This version was allocated specifically for fights of little-known (Barrera was little known at the time of the fight), novice boxers, as well as for non-title fights of famous boxers. The fight turned out to be very spectacular. Only in the 12th round did the referee stop the fight and award the victory to Barrera.
On November 22, 1996, Marco Antonio Barrera was defeated for the first time in his professional career and lost his title against Junior Jones. The rematch also ended in Barrera's defeat. Barrera's next return to the ring took place on February 21, 1998 in a fight against Angelo Rosario. In this fight, Barrera looked much fresher and better than in the fight with Jones and in the fifth round he won by technical knockout. Barrera's next 2 opponents before the fight for the vacant WBO belt also found themselves on the floor. On October 31, 1998, in a fight against Richie Venton, strong hooks and explosive combinations earned Barrera the WBO Super Bantamweight title. Later, Marco Antonio defended his champion's crown 2 times; Paul Lloyd (TKO1) and Pastor Marino (SD12) were defeated.
In February 2000, a fight between two famous boxers took place - Marco Antonio Barrera and the undefeated Erik Morales. Morales won by split decision. In March 2001, Barrera defeated the undefeated Naseem Hamed, and in June 2002, Barrera entered the 2nd fight against the undefeated WBC featherweight champion Erik Morales. This time Barrera won by unanimous decision and Erik Morales suffered a defeat for the first time in 42 fights.
In November 2003, Barera met with another undefeated boxer, Filipino Manny Pacquiao. At the beginning of the 1st round, Pacquiao threw a left cross, but failed to keep his balance and fell. The referee counted the knockdown. The Filipino did not agree with him. When watching the replay, HBO commentator Larry Merchant said there was no punch from Barrera, so it was not a knockdown. At the beginning of the 3rd round, Pacquiao landed a deuce to the head, and the Mexican sat down in the ring. He stood at the count of 8. Pacquiao rushed to finish him off, but Barrera himself went on the attack. The Filipino was more successful in the exchange, but was unable to finish off the Mexican. In the middle of the 9th round, Barrera clashed with Pacquiao in a clinch. The referee gave the command "break", and at this time Barrera delivered a left hook to Pacquiao's jaw. The referee fined the Mexican one point. At the end of the 11th round, Pacquiao landed a deuce to Barerra's jaw. He tried to escape in the clinch, but was unable to enter it and fell to his knee. He stood at the count of 7. Pacquiao immediately went on the attack. He drove Barrera to the ropes and started bombing him. Seeing this beating, a representative of the Mexican’s corner rose to the ring and signaled to stop the fight. The referee stopped the fight.
In June 2004, Barrera knocked out Paulie Ayala. In November 2004, the 3rd fight between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales took place. After 12 rounds, Barrera won by majority decision. In March 2007, Barrera lost to Juan Manuel Marquez.
In October 2007, the 2nd fight took place between Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao outworked the Mexican. At the end of the 11th round, Pacquiao threw a large number of accurate punches to Barrera's head. The Mexican went into the clinch. The referee began to separate them, and then Barrera threw a left hook to Pacquiao's head. The referee deducted a point from the Mexican for this. After 12 rounds, the judges unanimously declared Pacquiao the winner. After this fight, Barrera announced his retirement, but in November 2008, Barrera entered the ring again and easily defeated Sammy Ventura by technical knockout. On January 31, 2009, he defeated Cuban Frodis Rojas, who was disqualified in the third round for a headbutt. The blow resulted in a severe cut for Barrera.
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