Marco Antonio Barrera vs Juan Manuel Marquez

Last weekends (3-17-07) fight with Marco Antonio Barrera (63-5 42 KO’s) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (47-3-1 35KO‘s), for Barrera’s WBC Super Featherweight Title at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino in Las Vegas, is the best example I can give in the case of boxing vs. UFC/MMA. This is the type of skill level and excitement that cannot and has not been seen in any of the fighting arts that have tried over the years to usurp boxing as the number one fighting sport in the world. This is why they get paid the big bucks.

Both fighters were in excellent shape. Though both men are 33 years of age, Barrera has to be considered the battle worn veteran between the two. I thought the fight was very close , but I was convinced Barrera had defended his title, and was surprised by the decision , and even more surprised by the scorecards.

During the fight, specifically the seventh round, Barrera dropped Marquez with a clean right hand, in full view of referee Jay Nady, who apparently was asleep at the wheel, because he inexplicitly ruled it a slip. A few seconds later he woke up when Barrera, still in punching mode hit Marquez while he was down, with a glancing blow. If Nady had been on top of things this never would have occurred. His inaction caused Barrera to not only have a point deducted for hitting Marquez, but he failed to give Barrera credit for the knockdown. This might have made a difference in a fight with competent judging, but in this case, because of the ridiculously lopsided judging, it made no difference at all. Marquez won the unanimous decision victory by scores of 118-109, 116-111 and 116-111.


Yet and still, this was a classic encounter between to boxer-punchers who left nothing in the ring, reminiscent of Barrera’s classic trilogy with Eric Morales. Referees and judges aside, it does not get any better than this. This will be a tough act to follow later in the year by Ricky Hatton and Jose Louis Castillo, and Oscar De la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather jr..

Joe Louis vs Mike Tyson - What If....

On the surface this is a good matchup. Neither man was a big heavyweight, both men could punch. Louis had better overall boxing skills, but Tyson was quicker. All things being equal, I would go with the fighter that that has that intangible quality called heart. After being knocked out by Max Schmeling, Louis rebounded and eventually KO'ed Scmeling in a return match. After being knocked down by Buddy Baer in a heavyweight title fight Louis got up to knock Baer down three times. After being outboxed and outfought for twelve rounds by Billy Conn, Louis, still in the fight finds an opening and KO's Conn. These are all the marks of a real champion. Tyson on the other hand is very good as long as he's winning, not so good when he meets real resistance. Couldn't find a way to overcome a very mediocre Buster Douglas, who was having the best night of his life, and was nowhere man enough for Evander Holyfield. He wouldn't be man enough for Louis either.

George Foreman

The old saying "If I knew then, what I know now" was never more fitting then when George Foremen fought Muhommad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. The resurrected Foreman that emerged in his comeback in 1986 was a much more complete fighter and had greater endurance and stamina, something he did not have the first time around and he finally became a man with a fight plan. While he might or might not have beaten Ali, I think he would have beaten just about anyone else. Mike Tyson would have had no more luck against him than Joe Frazier. Lennex Lewis has been knocked out by lesser men than Foremen. And it's hard to imagine Joe Louis, Dempsey or Rocky Marciano standing up to his punch, which is generally regarded as one of the best in boxing history.

Larry Holmes

I may be in the minority here, but I think Holmes deserves to be in the top five heavyweights of all time. He was a well conditioned heavyweight with a tremendous jab. Probably one of the best in the heavies. He used it to consistantly set up both the hook and the right hand, with, if not great speed, sufficient speed. He had endurance and stamina, got up off the floor when he was knocked down, he had great ring generalship and knew how to cut off the ring. I felt he was robbed both times against Michael Spinks. He was not a well liked champion by both the media, and the fans. A lot of that had to do with his infamous remark about Rocky Marciano, and with beating Ali (admitedly Ali was way past his prime). On top of that he had an overly arrogant and sour personality. But in terms of skill, I can't think of too many heavyweight fighters from boxings past that could have beat him.