Nobody can actually pin down how the animosity started. Maybe it was a regional rivalry, with Erik Morales hailing from the working-class area of Zona Norte, Tijuana, whereas Marco Antonio Barrera got here from the extra genteel environs of Mexico Metropolis. Maybe it was a rivalry 4 years within the making, with Barrera ruling the tremendous bantamweight division whereas Morales was nonetheless proving his value. Or perhaps it was extra concerning the race to be considered the subsequent nice Mexican boxing warrior as Julio Cesar Chavez’s legendary profession neared its finish. Regardless of the motive, the hatred was actual, expectations had been excessive, and what transpired on that February evening on the Mandalay Bay set the tone for the 2 clashes which adopted. Suffice to say, boxing followers will always remember the Morales vs Barrera rivalry.
Within the mid-90s, Barrera was making his mark as one of many best Mexicans to ever combat within the decrease weight divisions. He had gained the WBO tremendous bantamweight title by defeating Puerto Rico’s Daniel Jimenez and had defended the belt eight occasions, together with a memorable struggle in opposition to Kennedy McKinney within the first ever broadcast of HBO After Darkish. His undefeated streak was halted when he misplaced to Junior Jones, in a bout the place Barrera was soundly crushed. He would additionally go on to lose the rematch 5 months later.
As soon as hailed because the inheritor obvious to Julio Cesar Chavez, many considered Barrera as a fading champion following his losses to Jones, thus making him the clear underdog going into the Morales match. In the meantime, Morales was the reigning tremendous bantamweight champion, the identical title Barrera had defended till he bumped into Junior Jones. The 23-year-old Morales shortly climbed up the rankings, demonstrating robust boxing acumen and energy, in addition to the viciousness to utilize each. He had amassed a report of 35 wins with no defeats, together with an eleven spherical dismantlement of Mexican nice Daniel Zaragoza and a 4 spherical beatdown of Barrera’s conqueror, Junior Jones.
On the opening bell, Barrera began out aggressively, holding his floor in the course of the ring, knocking Morales again in opposition to the ropes with physique pictures and laborious mixtures topped by a fierce left hook. Compelled on his heels, his again pinned to the ropes, Morales fought hearth with hearth. It was three minutes of hectic motion and when the bell rang to finish it, the combat had already lived as much as everybody’s expectations.
Within the rounds that adopted Morales proved a simple goal as Barrera punished him with one-two mixtures upstairs and heavy physique punches. Morales tried to make use of his boxing expertise however it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he was engulfed in a straight-up, power-punching slugfest. This was championship boxing, Mexican fashion, two macho warriors placing all of it on the road because the followers cheered them on.
The see-saw motion culminated in a blinding fifth spherical that might later be topped Spherical of the Yr by Ring Journal. In its first half, Morales landed a collection of proper arms, forcing Barrera to cowl up as he was staggered from the assault, earlier than “The Child Confronted Murderer” turned the tide with a proper hand of his personal. Within the remaining minute, each males stored frantically exchanging energy punches with no matter power they might muster. It was thrilling motion and a spherical that might go down as a traditional of their three combat saga.
Within the rounds that adopted, Barrera, seemingly shedding some steam, nonetheless managed to maintain the strain on, touchdown the tougher blows, whereas Morales stayed extra energetic and linked with crisper, extra eye-catching mixtures. Early within the ninth, a tough left hook from Barrera damage Morales who retreated earlier than gathering himself and rallying again with a mix that left a lower beneath Barrera’s eye. Having gone on to dominate the second half of the spherical, an overconfident Morales lunged in with a proper hand solely to be met with a devastating three punch mixture from Barrera. Fortunately for Morales, the bell sounded to finish one other action-packed stanza.
Useless even going into the championship rounds, each fighters emptied their arsenals of every little thing they’d left. Morales continued to land thudding proper arms, solely to be countered with laborious left hooks from Barrera. By now the sustained violence was taking a visual toll because the visages of each males had been misshapen and swollen.
With every little thing on the road going into the ultimate spherical, the 2 warriors got here out firing. Morales, with a burst of power, bounced on his toes, on the lookout for the opening to get house one other crisp proper hand. As an alternative a trademark Barrera left hook landed, staggering Morales, the ropes serving to him to remain upright. As Barrera moved in to complete, Morales slipped to the canvas, however it was mistakenly referred to as a knockdown by the referee. When the combat resumed, each males exchanged punches down the stretch at shut quarters, offering a dramatic ending to a dramatic combat.
In a minor controversy, the choose’s scorecards credited Morales with a break up determination win whereas in truth most ringsiders favored Barrera’s energy punching over Morales’ exercise. However the questionable determination solely set the scene for the subsequent two clashes, the three action-packed, distance battles comprising one of many best rivalries of the final a number of a long time and one among boxing’s all-time finest trilogies. –Rene Ricardo Bernal
