Miguel Vazquez Calls Out Marco Antonio Barrera for June Fight
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2011 3:55 AM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Ernesto Castellanos of Notifight.com/BoxingScene.com reports that lightweight trinket-carrier Miguel Vazquez wants Mexican veteran Marco Antonio Barrera for his next fight. Vazquez is set to fight on June 4 in Los Angeles, on the undercard of the Sebastian Zbik-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. event.
Vazquez (28-3, 12 KO) has become one of the top lightweights in the world at age 24, learning his trade in the pro rings since 2006. His record is good as it is, but is also deceiving. He lost his first fight, which came against Saul Alvarez, and his other two losses came to Timothy Bradley in 2007, and again to Alvarez in 2008.
Since that third loss, he's gone 7-0. He had a breakthrough performance in July 2009, beating Breidis Prescott on Friday Night Fights when Prescott was at his perceived peak. Since then he's dominated Ji Hoon Kim, Ricardo Dominguez, and most recently, Leonardo Zappavigna on the Cotto-Mayorga undercard.
Barrera (67-7, 44 KO) hasn't looked good in a fight since his 2007 loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, and hasn't won a notable fight since beating Rocky Juarez a second time in 2006. At 37, "The Baby Faced Assassin" is a shell of his former self. I know we've said that a lot lately, and Barrera rival Erik Morales shocked a lot of us by putting in a great performance against Marcos Maidana on April 9, but Vazquez is not Maidana. He's tricky, he's skilled, and he can box. Barrera's bag of tricks would be unlikely to be as effective against this opponent as Morales' was against Maidana.
If this fight does get made, though, I have to think that unless HBO really paid a hell of a price for Zbik-Chavez, Top Rank might wind up kicking themselves for missing out on the chance to stick this on a self-produced Latin Fury PPV. Chavez-Zbik combined with Vazquez-Barrera, Rafael Marquez-Mike Oliver, Julio Cesar Miranda-Brian Viloria, and Vanes Martirosyan-Saul Roman would have made for pretty solid buys and overall likely an entertaining night. I know as a dude who writes about boxing I'm supposed to decry all pay-per-views, but frankly if those fights are going to happen, I'd really like to see all of them, and not have to rely on Top Rank's lousy internet streams.
Of course Vazquez-Barrera isn't signed or anything like that, but Vazquez-someone else with that lineup looks just fine, too. Miranda-Viloria is a good fight, Martirosyan strikes me as someone destined to lose before a cash-out so I always find his fights intriguing, and Marquez is one of my favorite fighters.
Hopefully Top Rank will at least stream the undercard. And hopefully their technology will actually be watchable all the way through for once. Can someone convince them that the way they're doing those streams just isn't good enough, and that boxing fans DO want to watch the show, and get frustrated by faulty technology?
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This fight has boring written all over it. Vazquez is quick, slick and awkward, but he’s not a guy who engages like a Maidana. And Barrera is at the stage of his career where he can possibly look good against someone who is there to be hit but beyond shot against an elusive stylist like Vazquez.
Adailton de Jesus was there to be hit last year and Barrera looked slow and shoddy against him, too. MAB just doesn’t have the fire left that Morales does, IMO. Doesn’t want it as much.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2011 6:19 AM EDT up reply actions
he also had a roll of fat around his middle for that fight too, if he can get back into some sort of shape I think he can look competent against a sitting target. I do agree though that the fire doesn’t seem to be burning as bright for Barrera these days.
Honestly when I watch him fight anymore, I don’t even know why he’s fighting. Word is he doesn’t need the money. Boxing being what it is and my protests not stopping anyone from continuing on past their expiration date, I understand and even lightly endorse the crazy attempts by a lot of guys to be the first Mexican to win a belt in a fourth weight class. But Morales looks like he really, genuinely wants it, though his skills are faded and it’s a fool’s goal. Barrera does not even look like he much wants it that bad. I think he’d accept it if it came to him, if you will. I hesitate to say he looks lazy when he fights, but…well, I can’t hesitate forever, he looks lazy when he fights. Barrera was never “my” guy (I don’t dislike him as much as I let on, and on certain nights I’ve rooted my ass off for him), but one thing I never would have expected I’d say is that Marco Antonio Barrera fights without passion, but he does.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2011 7:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Vazquez beats Diaz without much trouble. Diaz-Barrera could make some money in Houston, which is about the best thing I can say about it. I don’t even know who I’d pick there. And I think Diaz-DeMarco is unfortunately a toss-up because DeMarco just does not impress me most of the time. I actually think about the best he ever fought was losing to Valero.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2011 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
It's hard to believe
that Vazquez, who’s a normal 135 fighter, fought twice against Alvarez, who’s a pretty thick 154. Was Alvarez just that much skinnier back then?
by Verklemptomaniac on Apr 22, 2011 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah — the first time they fought was at 140, and Alvarez was 15 years old. Vazquez himself was two weeks past his 19th birthday. They was just boys. The second time was at 147, where Vazquez was fighting heavy.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2011 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Vazquez beats Diaz and MAB without any trouble whatsoever. Canelo beat Vazquez
twice, but since then, Vazquez has improved greatly. He is slick and crafty.
Nick Charles is an inspiration.
rgb
is the MAN!!!!!!!!!!
however, not every old man is cab driver at heart too. even us old folks do have limits.
by Don From Prov on Apr 22, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Diaz is done. How do you spell d-o-n-e? He starts bleeding before the bell rings for
Round One, and his once great hand speed has gone away as has his punch volume—-and he never did have any power. Stick to Law School young man. Your glory days in the ring are in the past. As for MAB, his vulnerbility also makes him an exciting possible opponent for DeMarco, Moreleas, Vazquez, or even Paulie. Thing is, MAB is also done.
Valero would have cleaned up the lot.
Nick Charles is an inspiration.
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