*** The Marco Antonio Barrera super-thread ***

I've never been as tempted to sucker punch someone as I was seeing that actual murderer strutting around waving Mexican and British flags shouting 'Viva Mexico!' and 'God save the Queen!' like he owned the place.

 

The most complete performance of his career was in 2002 a few months after Barrera II. Obviously the Pacquiao fight was his defining win, but his most impressive display of ring artistry was against Ayala.

Well he doesnt overextend and overcommitt like he did in the first fight. His defense looks better. He fights more patient. He has less wasted energy. Looks to be more precise and accurate with his punches.

 

You're right I've noticed the consensus on that too. People think the first Barrera fight took a part of him that he never get back. But as somebody who has followed Morales career it doesnt match what my eyes see.

If Morales' performances got better after the first Barrera fight. And additionally Morales performed far better against Barrera in the rematch. And additionally his technique seemed to have improve then perhaps he just flat out got better.

Yes I realize I'm taking a contrarion opinion here, but that's what me eyes tell me.

 

I still love going back & watching Jr. Jones vs MAB

 

Morales was struggling mightily to make 122 lbs, he'd literally would weigh in looking like a scarecrow at that weight.
Morales fought valiantly against MAB that first fight, but it didn't seem to me like he had a lot of snap on his punches.
Even making 126 lbs when he made that jump cost Morales difficulties, but at least he wasn't dehydrating himself to the limit where he was in that danger level.
I don't thing Morales got better for the MAB rematch, I just think he wasn't dehydrated as much as he was when he was making 122 lbs.
I thought Morales boxed beautifully and won comfortably in that 2nd fight with MAB. Imo had he been disciplined enough to fight at distance, he'd have left no doubt he was the superior fighter.
The grudge between them made Morales want to take MAB's head off and that would lead Morales to fight MAB's fight up closer than benefited Morales.
Morales let MAB back in the fight by trading more than he had to and anytime you do that HBO will get its way. (…..and I think you know what I mean about that.) LOL!

The first Pacquiao fight was Morales' last hurrah. Imo Morales wasn't shot for those last two Pacquiao fights more than he was just struggling again to make the weight limit.
This is where imo Morales would have benefited from a strenghth and conditioning coach in order to bulk himself just a tad so his body could take the rigors of fighting true bonafide 135 and 140 pounders. Morales to me just looked soft fighting at those weights as he went inside the ring to fight there at a strenghth disadvantage.

 

Yeah, your enthusiasm for Barrera has me wanting to watch that trilogy. I'll score them later.

 

1st time I saw him was bittersweet. He beat my boy Kennedy McKinney. What a war. What an introduction to HBO Boxing After Dark!

 

Erik Morales vs Marco Antonio Barrera 1

Rd. EM : MAB (

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1. 10 : 9 (10-9)
2. 10 : 9 (20-18)
3. 9 : 10 (29-28)
4. 9 : 10 (38-38)
5. 10 : 9 (48-47)
6. 9 : 10 (57-57)
7. 9 : 10 (66-67)
8. 9 : 10 (75-77)
9. 10 : 9 (85-86)
10. 10 : 9 (95-95)
11. 9 : 10 (104-105)
12. 8 : 10 (

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Erik Morales wins by 12 round SD.

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Great fight, as we all know. Love both guys but I will go on record and admit (I know it may be heresy in this very thread) that I prefer Morales and his style, although I am still a massive fan of Barrera and his own approach.
I'm of the opinion that Morales was the greatest of the 2000's Mexican trio, and he's the only 1 to make my top 100 P4P.

This is generally viewed as a robbery and the credit is often given to Barrera, which is fair enough imo, but it's undersold how well Morales did here, but imo Morales did really well, just not well enough for a win.

Barrera's style is really fun though. Lots of pressure and aggression. His footwork was nice and angled to cut the ring off well, he has nice (underrated) defence and counter abilities as well as a very serviceable jab. Lots of aggressive fighters have underrated countering skills and defences, Durán and Pacquiao come to mind as examples, I don't know why though.

 

Was sat in salford van hire two days before the khan fight iirc having been fhooked about with his hotel
It was not all plain sailing
Just another tactic to make an opponent uncomfortable

 

I met Barrera last year, guy is huge now. Must be in 180 range at 5'5. No idea how he made that weight for so long. His wrists/forearms are thick so he's not just fat.

 

Can we have one on Ezzard Charles?