He went from El Terrible to Pacman (Marco Antonio Barrera)

Member Name: iamasadlittleboy

Product:	Marco Antonio Barrera
Date:	04/12/07 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hugely talented some of the best fights of the last 20 years

Disadvantages: Not a top 10 p4p fighter, couldn't revenge all his defeats

The end?
As Marco has all but retired after his second loss at the hands of the Phillipine buzzsaw Manny Pacquiao in October I've decided to do a reflective view on the career of the Baby Faced Assassin.

The start:
Unlike many sports personalities, especially boxers Marco himself is in fact a qualified lawyer from a middle class family in Guadalajara (yes it is a real place name) in Mexico. His parents were known to be pretty well off, so unlike many boxers who go into boxing to provide for their family, Barrera didn't need to, though the fact he seemed to enjoy it and have a passion for it probably helped further his career.

Right the real start:
So with Marco wanting to box he turned pro at the tender age of 15 defeating fellow debutant David Felix at a weight thought to be 115 or below. This was a start of a 43 fight winning streak which took Marco to the following titles:
Mexican super flyweight title (115lb title) (beating Josefino Suarez for the title in his 17th fight and defending it 5 times)
NABF super flyweight title (defeating Eduardo Ramirez)

Marco fails to make weight:
The win over Ramirez opened the doors for much bigger things for Barrera who was still only a 20 year old novice (despite having had 29 fights) when he faced (and defeated) Carlos Gabriel Salazar in a WBC super flyweight title eliminator (despite failing to make the weight, thus giving Salazar the title shot). Barrera won the fight on an MD*, despite this minor set back, it was really Barrera's body telling him he was growing, a message he was seemingly happy to listen to.

Stepping up to Super Bantamweight-World Champion I:
With Barrera's body starting to grow and fill out like most young boxers, he stepped upto the 125 pound category where he would get his first title shot against Daniel Jimenez (who beat our very own Duke Mckenzie). Barrera won by UD before going onto a bit of a run of wins by stoppages, winning 7 out of the next 8 by TKO or KO.

God damn Junior:
Barrera was on a role, and was seemingly destined for great things, beating all before him, and despite not looking the finished article or the most solid of chins (being decked in 2 of his 8 defences) he was looking pretty damn decent at the lower weights some boxing journalist's even compared him to the great Julio Cesar Chavez (JCC). This was all before argueably the only guy who ever really had Marco's number, and one of only 2 people to ever defeat Barrera twice, Juniour Jones. In the first fight Barrera was knocked down in the fifth, his corner men jumped on the apron leaving the referee to enforce a DQ loss to Barrera**. A Rematch followed which Jones won by UD leaving Barrera to rebuild his career which now read as 43-2-0.

The comeback:
Angel Rosario was just the fodder that Barrera needed, with a record of 21-17-1 and seen as a fringe contender at best (two failed attempts at the WBO super flyweight title) was the comeback fight that Barrera needed after 2 straight losses. He won in 5 before facing and defeating Geronimo Cardoz (KO 1), Pedro Javier Torres (KO 4). After these three straight KO wins he got to face Richie Wenton for the vacant WBO Superbantamweight title.

The world champion II:
Wenton went the same was as the previous three opponents and ended up being KO'd and Paul Lyod suffered a similar fate (losing on a cut in the first round) during Barrera's first defence. Next came Pastor Humberto Maurin who managed to last all 12 rounds but was hugely outclassed. Following this figth was a rather perculiar fight with a sparring partner Cesar Najera, this fight was later ruled an NC.

El Terrible I:
With Mexico having two of the Superbantam weight world champions their was huge demand for the two to face off. Barrera's WBO title V Morales' WBC title, the start of one of the true modern trilogies, between two warrioers who were to give their all in three wars. Morales was undefeated, and had KO'd Daniel Zaragoza to gain the title. The first fight ended up a close SD win for Morales.

The world champion III:
Morales stepped up in weight leaving his titles behind, which resulted in Luiz Freitas V Barrera for Barrera's old title, which he gladly took back with a first round KO. Successful defenses against Jose Luis Valbuena and Jesus Salud lead barrera to wanting to step up again to featherweight.

Hamed-The world champion IIII:
Next came the flamboyant and obnoxious, but yet immensely dangerous and fast "Prince" Naseem Hamed, who held the IBO featherweight title. Naz was known for having an incredibly weird fighting style, almost like a snake and reactions to match. Although some had seen the early signs of Naz's cockyness perhaps going to his head (Kevin Kelley knocked him down 3 times in their fight) Naz was still unbeaten and still seen as a heavy favourite. The fight ended up like only a few had predicted with Barrera winning a semi-wide UD despite getting deducted a point in the 12th round. This was to be the begginning of the end for Naz and the huge stepping stone for Barrera who was know a world star.

Morales II:
The following fight for Barrera was against Enrique Sanchez which was ended in the 6th by Sanchez's corner before the second fight with Morales. Morales was now 41-0-0, Barrera 54-3-0, on the line was the WBC featherweight title which Morales was holding. This time the fight was on PPV and a fight that many deemed the most tactical of the three fights, with Barrera throwing the more accurate of the punches whilst Morales went looking to try and take Barrera's head off. Barrera won by UD and took away Morales' 0.

By now there was demand for Barrera to just fight the names at the weight, which is exactly what he did facing off against Kevin Kelly and Johnny Tapia, beating both of them.

Pac Man:
Manny Pacquiao was next, a guy who'd never really been seen by that many, despite a win over Nedal Hussien and a TD to Agapito Sanchez two years previously. Despite this he had managed to pick up the IBF super bantamweight title by KO'ing Emmanuel Lucero. Manny was stepping up to face Barrera, and he made his impact on the world scene after an 11 round war which ended with Barrera being KO'd.

The comeback + Morales III + World champion V:
Paulie Ayala was next in a fight that finished with a 10th round TKO win for Barrera. Before The two Mexican idols faced off in their final fight, Morales was now known to totally despise his rival. Over 4 years since the first fight, the third was just as epic and arguably the cloests off the lot, with Barrera getting the nod by MD (and a mere 3 points overall on the cards). On the line this time was just Morales' WBC super featherweight title.

Next came 2 fights that many fans can never really understand, the fight against Mzonke Fana which was a 2nd round KO for Barrera, who we all know was far better than Fana was ever going to be and Robert Peden who was just totally outclassed on the cards.

Jaurez I and II:
Barrera next faced Olympic bronze medallist Rocky Jaurez, a fight I'd personally bet on, Jaurez broke Barrera's nose very early on, and many at ringside said Jaurez did more than enough to win it. Originally it was called a draw, before the result was officially changed to a Barrera win. A rematch was fought soon afterwards due to the suspicious circumstances (a counting error) which Barrera totally dominated.

Marquez:
Next came a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez who had often not been given the big fights due to his ability and his his inability to draw a huge audience. A tough hugely skillful counter puncher, who wasn't a huge smack talker (with poor or no English), who finally got his shot against the living legend Marco Antonio Barrera. Marquez's counter punching won him a wide unanmouis points decision, with some saying Barrera should have been disqualified for hitting Marquez when he was down (though oddly it wasn't called a KD).

Pac Man II-The swansong:
The rematch with Manny, that many had been calling for happened, and was actually the opening of this article. This time the fight went all 12 with Manny winning by points, and putting an end to Barrera's career, hopefully before Marco decides he'll be a smaller version of Evander Holyfield.

*Boxing Terminology:
UD-Unanimous Decision-All three ringside judges score it in favour of the winner
MD-Marjority Decision-Two ringside judges score score it to the winner, one scores it a draw.
SD-Split Decision-Two judges score it for the winner, one scores it for the loser.
TKO-Technical Knock Out-This often occurs when a fighter is KD (Knocked down) but beats the 10-count however the referee deems him unfit to continue. This term can also be used for when a fighter has been knocked down 3 times in a single round.
KD-Knock down-When a fighter is knocked down on to the canvas.
KO-Knock out-When a fighter is knocked down and unable to beat the count.
DQ-Disqualified-When a fighter has broken the rules in a manner that it is seen fit to disqualify him and the opponent gets the win.
NC-No Contest-A fight in which neither guy wins, loses or draws, very rarely used and is mainly done when a fighter has been injured due to an external circumstance or drugs have been used.
Stoppages-TKO or KO's, which are recorded on a boxers records as KO's.
TD-Technical Draw-A draw thats usually caused after a fight has ended prematurely due to a headbutt.

**Oddly this rule wasn't enforced when Zab "super" Judah and Floyd "Pretty boy" Mayweather Jr. fought.

Note:
A boxers record is to be read like this
Wins-Losses-Draws-*(KO's)
*Occasionally it may include a fourther coloumn or results, this being NC's.

Summary: A great mexican warrior