By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was advised by a reliable source in Mexico that Marco Antonio Barrera has signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank, and plans to return, as a lightweight, on the Latin Fury 15 pay-per-view undercard, which takes place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The main event features a middleweight contest between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and John Duddy.
Barrera (68-7, 43 KOs), a former three division champion, has been inactive since the technical decision loss to Amir Khan from last March. During that fight, a clash of heads opened up a huge cut on Barrera. The ringside doctor stopped the fight in the fifth round, but he could have stopped it much sooner. Under the governing rules, Khan-Barrera was sent to the scorecards because at least four rounds had been completed. The cut was serious enough that Barrera's doctors told him it would take at least eight months to properly heal.
Barrera, 36, was at one time a partner in Golden Boy Promotions. After five-years with the company, he left Golden Boy in 2008. After leaving Golden Boy, Barrera had a brief stint with promoter Don King.
When reached for comment, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum would neither confirm or deny the acquisition of Barrera.
"I can not comment at this time," Arum told BoxingScene.com.
The information we received has legs, because BoxingScene has confimed that Barrera will appear at two scheduled Top Rank press conferences, taking place next Monday in San Antonio, and next Tuesday in California. Top Rank will officially announce the Latin Fury 15 pay-per-view at both pressers.
