Barrera: “I am not your stepping stone.”
Today
(March 14), Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KOs) is on a
mission to prove that he’s still an elite fighter. The test comes in
the form of young British sensation Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KOs), who’ll
face the cagey veteran in the toughest bout of his young career.
Since losing back to back fights to Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao in 2007, Barrera has won two stay busy fights.
After
hearing Khan trainer Freddie Roach refer to him as being washed up,
Barrera has made it clear to Khan and Roach that he expects to deliver
the same performance he did to Naseem Hamed 8 years ago.
“A
defeat is not in my contract… He wants to use me as a way to a world
title fight, but I have news for him, he is not using me as a stepping
stone,” Barrera told the Manchester Evening News. “Naz was a great
fighter with a hard punch, one of the best I have ever fought. The
Hamed fight was my graduation, the fight that put me on the next step,
and got me ready for everyone that followed.”
Khan is seeking to rebound from an embarrassing 1st
round knockout to Breidis Prescott last September. This fight
represents his first real test since receiving a soft touch in the form
of Oisin Fagan in December, which Khan won by 2nd round TKO.
This
fight is a tricky one to predict. It’s evident that Barrera is past
prime, but he was still formidable enough to drop and badly hurt Juan
Manuel Marquez. Additionally, he went the distance with Pacquiao,
boxing’s current pound for pound #1.
On
the other hand, Khan when disciplined can box well from a distance and
keep himself out of harm’s way. However, the young talent also has the
propensity to mix it up unnecessarily at times, resulting in him
getting rocked and in one case ruthlessly KO’d.
Look
for the crafty and sneaky Barerra to rattle Khan with dirty, bullying
tactics to initiate a brawl. The Baby-Faced Assassin has the power to
hurt Khan, and Khan’s recuperative abilities will decide whether he can
gut out a tough decision win.
This should be a good one, and American fans with $20 to spare should order this budget-sensitive PPV.
Lucian Brute Wins by TKO on ShoBox
On
Friday (March 13), IBF super-middleweight champ Lucian Bute (24-0, 19
KOs) retained his title with a dominating TKO stoppage over Fulgencio
Zuniga (22-4-1, 19 KOs).
Zuniga
was never in the fight, as Bute constantly peppered him with stinging
counter shots. Normally an inside pressure fighter, Zuniga was reduced
to single looping shots from the outside which left him an easy target
for Bute’s handspeed.
In the 4th,
Bute landed a perfect left uppercut to the solar plexus, causing Zuniga
to visibly cry out in pain and crumple to the floor. After barely
beating the count, the tough Colombian took several more hard shots
before the merciful ref stoppage.
Next
up for Bute is a rematch against Librado Andrade, the man he beat in
highly controversial fashion last year due to a gift referee count in
the 12th round.
Hopkins-Adamek in Negotiations
Main
Events and Golden Boy Promotions have begun preliminary discussions for
a July HBO fight between cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek and
light-heavyweight star Bernard Hopkins.
Adamek is coming off a chilling KO of Jonathon Banks in his February 27 IBF title defense.
Last October, Hopkins shocked the boxing world with a dominating, shut-out win over previously undefeated Kelly Pavlik.
At
press time, the fight will be contested at cruiserweight, and offer
Hopkins the chance to pick up a world title in his third weight class.
If
Hopkins wins, his all time pound for pound ranking shoots through the
roof. Adamek represents a credible cruiser with legit knockout power
and skill.
Hopkins
obviously holds an advantage of being quicker then the sometimes
robotic and plodding Adamek. And while some may get images of a
Hopkins-Pavlik replay, it can’t be stressed enough that Hopkins would
be the one moving up this time and coming off 9-month layoff.
This is a risky and intriguing fight for both men. Hopefully it comes off.
Mayweather Comeback Announcement Imminent?
It
seems any time a fighter has a big win between lightweight and
welterweight, Floyd Mayweather’s name is brought up as the next
potential opponent. But now, it may appear that after over a year into
his “retirement” Money Mayweather himself may finally end all the
speculation.
Over
the last several weeks, reports have been coming out of Las Vegas that
Mayweather has been vigorously training in his personal gym and also
sparring.
According
to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Mayweather has abruptly canceled a
fundraiser and gala for the struggling city of Middletown, Ohio. A
spokesman for the former champ revealed that Mayweather’s actions would
be explained after a big announcement is made sometime this week or
next.
Assuming
that Floyd’s announcement isn’t something underwhelming such as a new
signing to Philthy Rich Records, who do you want to see Money
Mayweather face in a return bout?
http://www.sodahead.com/question/280644/?link=p_280644Poll AnswersKirkland Beats Julio Into Submission
Feared
junior middleweight James Kirkland (25-0, 22 KOs) continued his path of
destruction with a gradual beatdown of proven puncher Joel Julio (34-3,
31 KOs) last Saturday (March 7).
Julio was in constant retreat, and struggled when Kirkland took his best shots and never wavered with his pressure.
Tired, cut, and with nothing left, Julio opted to retire on his stool before the 7th round.
Keep
in eye on Kirkland. If he tightens up his defense, we can possibly
witness the next big American star. If not, we may have another Jeff
Lacy on our hands.Throwback Fighter of the Week: Jose “Pipino” Cuevas
While
stars Tommy Hearns and Ray Leonard received the big headlines in the
late 70s and early 80s, hardcore fans also enjoyed the bouts of Mexican
KO specialist Pipino Cuevas.
Cuevas
turned pro at the young age of 14 in 1971. Without a solid amateur
career, he was forced to learn on the job and dropped 5 of his first 12
bouts.
Cuevas began gaining his stride in 1976, when he won the WBA welterweight title by knocking out Clyde Gray in 2 rounds.
He was a fighting champion; defending his title 8 times over
the next 3 years, and winning all but one by knockout.
Cuevas’ title defense victims included tough contenders Harold Weston
and Angel Espada, who both quit after receiving broken jaws.
In
1980, Cuevas sought to further enhance his reputation by disposing of a
gangly, undefeated Detroit fighter named Tommy Hearns.
Using
his amazing reach, speed, and power, Hearns drilled Cuevas with two
lethal right hands that dropped the rugged champion flat on his face
for a 2nd round KO.
Afterward, Cuevas was never the same and delivered inconsistent performances for the remained of his career.
His last high-profile bout came in 1983, when he suffered another brutal knockout at the hands of a Roberto Duran on the comeback trail .
After going 6-6 over his final 12 bouts, Pipino Cuevas retired in 1989.
In retirement, he went into business for himself and currently owns a restaurant and a security company in Mexico City.
In
2002, Cuevas was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The following year, RING Magazine listed him 31 on their list of the
100 greatest punchers of all time.
Jose “Pipino” Cuevas’ final record stands at 35-15-0, 31 KOs.
Highlights
Cuevas vs. Ranzany
