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Marco Antonio Barrera
Returns
To British Shores On March 9
Promoter, and former World Champion, Carl Greaves recently
announced that three weight World Champion Marco Antonio
Barrera is to make a return visit to the UK next month. Now
before you go getting too excited, or maybe you should,
because it’s not for yet another super fight, oh no this
time it’s for a much more up close and personal event with
British boxing fans.
Yep you’ve got it Carl is putting together another of his
highly successful ‘Evening With’ events and this time it’s
the legendary Mexican star that will be the centre of
attraction at the Newark Showground, Newark,
Nottinghamshire, on Friday, 9th March 2012.
Barrera, a former two-time WBO super bantamweight, WBC,
Lineal, The Ring & IBO Featherweight and WBC & IBF super
featherweight champion, earned his legendary status
following a trilogy of battles with another Mexican legend
Erik Morales as well as his being the first to defeat Prince
Naseem Hamed.
Barrera began his career as a Super Flyweight and won his
first professional title at this weight, defeating Justino
Suárez by a decision to win the Mexican national super
flyweight title in 1992. A title he successfully defended
five times as well as adding the division’s NABF crown to
his collection.
In 1994, even though he beat Carlos Salazar, Barrera failed
to secure a WBC Super Flyweight World Title eliminator as he
had come in over the weight limit. Barrera then stepped up
to the Super Bantamweight division and challenged for and
won the WBA Penta-Continental Super Bantamweight title,
which he successfully defended on a single occasion.
Barrera began 1995 with his first World title shot. On the
31st March of that year, he became the WBO super
bantamweight champion after defeating Puerto Rican boxer
Daniel Cobrita Jiménez.
Barrera defended the WBO crown seven times before on the
22nd November 1996, he suffered his first career loss, as
well as losing the WBO title, after a crazy faux pas by his
coach.
Barrera was knocked down in round five by American Junior
Jones, Barrera got to his feet but just after the fight
resumed Barrera's corner man climbed onto the ring apron,
leaving the referee no option but to stop the fight and
disqualify Barrera.
On the 18th April 1997, Barrera was presented the chance to
regain his title, by facing Jones in a rematch in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately after twelve hard fought close rounds Barrera
was once again thwarted, this time by a unanimous decision,
after which he announced his retirement from boxing.
One year later Barrera announced his comeback, shortly after
he defeated Angel Rosario with a fifth round knockout. After
two more wins, he was given another opportunity to fight for
the WBO World title.
Barrera became a two-time World Super Bantamweight Champion,
on the 31st October, when he defeated Richie Wenton by a
third round knockout to secure the vacant WBO title.
In February 2000, Barrera was defeated by the WBC super
bantamweight title holder Erik Morales by a controversial
split decision. It was an intense battle in which both
fighters were cut and battered. At the 2000 year end awards
this thrilling bout was declared the new Millenniums first
‘Fight of the Year’ by Ring Magazine.
Shortly after the bout, the WBO reinstated Barrera as their
champion, which he defended three times in 2000
In 2001, Barrera moved up a weight division. On the 7th
April, he handed legendary British boxer Prince Naseem Hamed
his first and only loss to secure the lineal Featherweight
title by a twelve-round decision.
Before the fight, Hamed was the clear bookies favorite,
however Hamed could not hit Barrera with his trademark left,
as Barrera circled to his left and worked both head and
body.
Barrera was not a fan of Hamed's antics and responded to
Hamed's punches during clinches. On one occasion early in
the fight, Hamed grabbed Barrera and they both fell to the
ground, whilst down on the canvas Barrera threw a right jab
which lead to a warning from referee Joe Cortez. In the
twelfth and final round Barrera trapped Hamed in a full
nelson, and forced his head into the turnbuckle, resulting
in a point deduction from Cortez.
Throughout the bout Barrera threw far more and harder
punches as well as more impressive combinations than Hamed
to rightfully be awarded the victory via a unanimous
decision.
On the 8th September 2001, Barrera added the IBO
Featherweight title to his collection after stopping former
champion Enrique Sánchez in the sixth round.
Nine months later, on the 22 June 2002, Barrera successfully
defended his lineal title by out pointing Erik Morales in a
rematch, in doing so added Morales' WBC title and the vacant
Ring Magazine title to his ever expanding trophy case,
albeit for only a short while in the case of the WBC belt as
shortly after he relinquished the title.
On the 7th November, Barrera defeated former five-time world
champion Johnny Tapia by a 12-round unanimous decision.
Barrera’s 60th career fight, on the 12th April 2003, see him
finish off former WBC title holder Kevin Kelley in style,
with a spectacular fourth round knockout.
On the 16th November 2003, Barrera faced Manny Pacquiao.
After eleven bruising hard fought rounds Barerra's corner
threw in the towel. In doing so handed Pacquiao his third
world championship, all in different weight divisions, and
as Barrera was the recognized Lineal champion his coveted
Ring Magazine title also went to the Pac Man.
On November 27, 2004, Barrera joined Pacquiao as a three
weight division World Champion, after defeating Morales to
secure the WBC super featherweight title, a title which he
successfully defended four times as well as adding the IBF
version to his impressive collection.
Barrera lost his WBC Super Featherweight title, On the 17th
March 2007, to fellow Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Márquez by a
unanimous points decision.
Barrera was furious and demanded a rematch, claiming that
the judges and referee were wrong, because he knocked down
Márquez in the seventh round and the referee ruled it a
slip.
Just under seven months later, on the 6th October, Barrera
fought Pacquiao for a second time, for the WBC International
Super Featherweight title. Again Barrera’s efforts was
thwarted by the Filipino. After the bout a distraught
Barrera expressed his desire to retire from boxing a second
time.
On the 26th August 2008 Barrera, at 35, ended his brief
retirement, and signed a five year contract with promoter
Don King and moved to the Lightweight division, his goal to
become the first Mexican ever, to win a World Championship
at four different weights.
The 7th December 2008, marked Barrera’s return to the ring,
in Chengdu, China, where he secured his first win, as a
Lightweight, by knocking out Sammy Ventura.
It was announced on the 15th January 2009 that Barrera’s
next fight would see him travel to the UK to face the highly
rated Amir Khan, at the MEN Arena on the 14th March. Even
with Barrera being in the twilight years of his career this
was still viewed as the toughest test of young Khan’s career
to date.
Barrera lost the bout by a dubious fifth-round technical
decision - the two fighters clashed heads in the first
round, resulting in a deep gash above Barrera's forehead.
Throughout the bout blood flowed from the cut and even
though the referee could have called a halt to the
proceedings anytime he left it until the beginning of the
fifth to summon the ringside doctor. Immediately the doctor
stopped the fight due to the severity of the cut, The judges
scored the fight 50-45, 50-45, and 50-44 for Khan at the
point of stoppage and he was declared the winner by
technical decision.
It would not be until the 26th June 2010 that Barrera would
fight again, where he faced Brazil’s Adailton de Jesus in a
non-Championship ten rounder at the Alamodome, San Antonio,
Texas. Barrera dominated De Jesus for every single round to
secure victory.
In his last bout, on 12th February 2011, Barrera beat Jose
Arias, of the Dominican Republic by a second round TKO.
Whilst it’s not clear whether that fight brings to a close
Barrera’s magnificent career, one thing is clear that Marco
Antonio Barrera has earned the right to be known as one of
the greatest boxers of his generation, something that makes
this opportunity presented by Carl Greaves, a can’t miss
one, especially as those attending will not only get the to
meet and chat with Barrera but will also have the
opportunity to be photographed with him.
Not just that though, those attending will also get to sit
down at the dinner table with the great man himself, and
other star guests, for a two course meal as well as further
evening entertainment, in the form of a comedian.
Carl Greaves is really doing the fans proud yet again,
especially as the cost of attending ‘An Evening With Marco
Antonio Barrera’ is just £75 per person - Tickets available
on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com
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