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Saturday, September 25, 2004
Morales says Pacquiao won it; Barrera thinks otherwise
By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
MEXICAN boxing gladiators Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, who will slug it out atop the ring for the third time on Nov. 27, offered contrasting views on the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight, an indication of how close the May bout was in the eyes of the boxing world.
Morales, the current World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion, said the Filipino boxer won the fight over Marquez.
"I though the fight was very close, but I think Pacquiao should have been given the decision," Morales said, adding that Marquez wasn't that good enough when he fought Orlando Salido recently.
But, Barrera thinks otherwise. He said the fight ended with Marquez winning by a slim margin.
"It's a very difficult fight, and not because Marquez is Mexican or because Pacquiao beat me, but I think Marquez won that fight by one point," Barrera said.
The two fighters aired their observations through boxing website www.fightnews.com, which interviewed them on their coming grudge match `For Once And For All: Morales vs Barrera III.
Morales (47-1, 34 KOs) and Barrera (58-4-1, 41 KOs) will be fighting it out for the third time in Las Vegas on Nov. 27 after splitting their first two bouts.
Morales had won the first fight, but Barrera came back to prevail in their second meeting, thus arranging a grudge match, although it took a while time before this one was sealed.
Barrera, after beating Morales for the WBC featherweight title, chalked up more wins until he ran into a raging bull in Pacquiao.
The 25-year-old native of Gen. Santos City stunned the boxing world by beating Berrera in November last year in one of boxing's the most biggest upsets in history.
Barrera rebounded from that defeat to score a win over aging Paulie Ayala.
Immediately after Pacquiao rose to prominence, talks of a bout with Morales and a rematch with Marquez began, but neither fight was materialized.
Pacquiao instead fought Marquez for the latter's WBA and IBF featherweight crowns and looked headed for a huge win whe the Filipino floored the Mexican three times in the first round.
However, Marqez used counter-punching ability to the hilt and managed to come back into the fight, even landing hard blows that staggered Pacquiao.
In the end, the fight was declared a draw, a decision Pacquiao didn't like.
Morales agreed with Pacquiao that the latter did enough to win, and even signified his intention to fight the Filipino champ.
"I would love to fight Pacquiao at 130," Morales said.
(September 25, 2004 issue)
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