Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Rocky Juarez September 16, 2006

By admin on September 12th, 2006

On Saturday, Sept. 16, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Marco Antonio Barrera and Rocky Juarez will pick up where they left off in May as they determine once and for all the best 130-pound fighter in the world.

“BARRERA-JUAREZ II - TOO CLOSE TO CALL” headlines a hard-hitting night of boxing presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. HBO Pay-Per-View will televise the card beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST.

Marco Antonio Barrera Trivia:

September of 2001, Barrera and Morales got together again on June 22, 2002 to settle their unfinished business. Once again the two 126-pound standouts fought on dead even terms for 12 rounds, and though the rematch was more tactical, it didn’t lack for drama. When the decision was announced, it was unanimous (115-113 twice, 116-112) for Barrera, and “The Baby Faced Assassin” had evened the score, setting the stage for an epic third battle.

Despite winning the WBC featherweight crown from Morales, Barrera refused the belt, choosing to set an example for other world-class fighters who don’t need a sanctioning body to declare them as champion.

One important honor that Barrera did receive after the win over Morales was the prestigious Ring featherweight title belt, which honored Marco as the people’s champion. In defense of that belt, Barrera scored wins over well-regarded former champions Johnny Tapia (W12) and Kevin Kelley (TKO 4) in November of 2002 and April of 2003, respectively, adding to his prestige as the best 126-pounder in the world.

An upset loss to Philippine bomber Manny Pacquiao in November of 2003 was a minor setback, but Barrera jumped right back into the ring with one of boxing’s best, Paulie Ayala, in June of 2004, stopping the highly regarded champion in ten rounds.

Rocky Juarez Trivia:

* In 1996, he earned gold medals in both the Junior Olympics National Championships and the Junior Olympics World Championships.

* In 1997, he won the Muhammad Ali Cup and earned a bronze medal at the U.S. Championships. He also won the “Under-19″ U.S. National Championships.

* In 1998, he won the National PAL Championships.

* In 1999, he won the U.S. Championships and earned a gold medal at the World Championships.