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By TK Stewart - Forget all the sub plots, all the rumors, all the hoopla and all the other other soap opera-like drama that has surrounded the Manny Pacquiao versus Marco Antonio Barrera rematch that will take place this Saturday night inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center at the south end of the Las Vegas strip.
Forget about the chaos that envelopes Manny Pacquiao’s life like a cocoon. Forget about Manny the politician or Manny the movie star or Manny who might just be the best fighter on the planet. Forget about the fact that Barrera was surprised, shocked and savaged before going down at the fists of Pacquiao in their first fight nearly four years ago.
The only question that you need to concern yourself with, and the only question that really matters is this: “Can Barrera Do It?”
Can Marco Antonio Barrera, one of the greatest Mexican fighters that has ever lived, a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer, a boy that turned pro in the dusty rings of Mexico City at the tender age of 15 summon the inner resources to do what he does one more time?
“The Baby Faced Assassin” as he is otherwise known, has been at this sport, the one that the great fight writer Hugh McIlvanney called, “The Hardest Game” for 18 years now. And last week, Barrera told a group of us boxing writers that, “I've made up my mind, my mind is set. This is the last big fight I'm doing. If I do lace ‘em up again after this fight, it's going to be for a retirement fight and it's not going to be against a top-level guy. I’ve had so many tough fights in my career, I've decided now that this is the last big fight I'm having.” [details]
Forget about the chaos that envelopes Manny Pacquiao’s life like a cocoon. Forget about Manny the politician or Manny the movie star or Manny who might just be the best fighter on the planet. Forget about the fact that Barrera was surprised, shocked and savaged before going down at the fists of Pacquiao in their first fight nearly four years ago.
The only question that you need to concern yourself with, and the only question that really matters is this: “Can Barrera Do It?”
Can Marco Antonio Barrera, one of the greatest Mexican fighters that has ever lived, a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer, a boy that turned pro in the dusty rings of Mexico City at the tender age of 15 summon the inner resources to do what he does one more time?
“The Baby Faced Assassin” as he is otherwise known, has been at this sport, the one that the great fight writer Hugh McIlvanney called, “The Hardest Game” for 18 years now. And last week, Barrera told a group of us boxing writers that, “I've made up my mind, my mind is set. This is the last big fight I'm doing. If I do lace ‘em up again after this fight, it's going to be for a retirement fight and it's not going to be against a top-level guy. I’ve had so many tough fights in my career, I've decided now that this is the last big fight I'm having.” [details]
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