In appreciation of Marco Antonio Barrera...one of the most aesthetically satisfying fights of all time. I await your opinions. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Blol1q3Go&feature=related[/ame]
I'd seen MAB fight before so i knew Nas had his work cut out. Dont know why he was favourite really i knew Barrera would win.
Barrera is my all time #2 but there's a misconception that he destroyed Hamed that night,and whilst he pitched a perfect display in how to nullify Hamed(and paid him in full for his bull**** delaying tactics) it wasn't quite the shut out some seem to remember. Still wonderful to watch though.
A great fight because Hamed was a complete ***** that i enjoyed seeing humbled, but not a special fight per se imo, nor one fought at a great level of skill. Barrera's slow paced cautious technical boxing was the right thing to do against the slopfest one shot at a time puncher that Hamed was, and finely executed but it was nothing too interesting or challenging and an approach done better by many fighters.I much prefer Marco when he had more fire and aggression to him. Hamed was just pathetic technically and effectively, plus showed a real lack of heart even when being told he needed to step things up. Marco adopting that style for his subsequent fights saw him decline as a fighter imo.A turgid complacency set in that ended with the Pac hammering. Still, good to watch every once in a while to see Hamed get reamed.
The Curious Case of Naseem Hamed THE puncher of the division. Punchers do not tend to have the greatest boxing skills as their KO wins tend to give them the impression that what they are doing is enough, thus their boxing skills may suffice. However we saw that even though Hamed KO'd Sanchez and sent him off in a stretcher, and even though he KO'd Kelly, he still had a hard time boxing them and was even knocked down three times by Kevin Kelly. I knew he'd come up short against Barrera. HAVING SAID THAT: If he had come back and focussed on his boxing skills, then I have no doubt he would have beaten Barrera (also if he had Brendan Ingle in his corner, the guy that understands him the most as a boxer, and also if Hamed had been devoted in training and didn't have very damaged hands all the time). Hamed's skill is by far the most entertaining I have ever seen. I know I wouldn't be no way near as interested to watch any other fighter against bum fighters like I enjoyed watching Naz. His very unique skill won him many great titles and earned him a title challenge against the great Barrera - a true beautiful skill, and super effective if he had just focussed on his boxing skills a bit more. Naz, a great hall of famer-to-be.
I always like to see someone like Naz get humbled. It's a cool fight too, in that it proves (as so many others have through time) that fundamentals are so important. Naz had none, Mab was just very well-schooled.
Why do you like to see someone like Naz get humbled? The sport wont be AS fun if it wasn't for figures like Naz and Mayweather. Nor will there be as much money in it.
Barrera ducked Nas until he was on the decline and had looked vulnerable If they had fought 3 years earlier Nas would've easily gotten the KO win over him Nas was spending more time on planning his entrance than training against Barrera
Triumph of fundamentals over showmanship. Barrera was ready for him. Earlier in their careers, it might have been a different story, but I'd take THIS Barrera over any version of Naseem. Naz couldn't hurt him, couldn't figure it out, and was getting bashed all over the ring. I had it 9-3.
Given the nature of the sport, you expect everyone to be a gent and a scholar? Give me a thousand of those two over one Carlos Monzon.
Who said anything about being a gent and a scholar as a prerequisite? I believe you can be a pure fighter, even one with a bit of an edge, and still manage not to be a complete asspipe. There are such people.
You reckon? The WBO wouldn't let Marquez near Hamed(despite two years as his mandatory) for fear that they'd lose their money pot.If I'm not mistaken Naz had to give up his belt to fight Barrera because the WBO didn't want the fight. Given that Hamed had been fighting at featherweight for several years and Barrera's first fight at the weight was against Hamed,how the **** does that equate to Barrera ducking Hamed?:huh