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Mexico in need of new heroes
MEXICO IN NEED OF NEW HEROES
By Mark Staniforth, PA Sport
For a nation whose boxing heritage bristles with more warriors than arguably any other, Mexico has struggled in recent times to find the next generation capable of carrying their proud tradition forward.
From the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez to the featherweight great Salvador Sanchez - who was cut down in his prime - and ferocious-punching bantamweights Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate, Mexico has seen them all.
But the recent conclusive defeat of Antonio Margarito by Shane Mosley left the country having to rely on a couple of old timers keeping retirement at bay for the moment at least.
On Saturday, Marco Antonio Barrera aims to return to the big time by beating Amir Khan in a fight slated for the WBO interim crown at the MEN Arena in Manchester.
It is a clever and calculated gamble by the Khan camp, who clearly believe Barrera is past his best, but the 35-year-old insists he is driven not by the desire for more money or fame, but by the goal of a world title at a fourth weight.
Since suffering consecutive points defeats to Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao in 2007, Barrera has eased back with two simple wins and knows Khan represents his final chance of getting back to the big time.
Meanwhile Erik Morales, a man with whom Barrera's fighting history will be for ever intertwined, has also elected to reverse an earlier retirement decision and resume his career at the age of 32.
Morales' decision is much less logical than Barrera's. Since beating Pacquaio in 2005 he has lost four straight fights - first to relative nobody Zahir Raheem, then twice in succession by stoppage to the Filipino.
Most tellingly of all, he was outpointed by the limited David Diaz in a WBC lightweight title challenge in August 2007 - his last fight before he elected to embark on a comeback, he claims, to hold a torch for Mexico.
"I want to return to boxing soon against a good opponent," Morales announced this week. "We have spoken with Golden Boy about doing a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez but have arrived at nothing concrete.
"I believe that I have a lot left and I want to go two years more at the maximum to try to conquer a fourth title at a different weight and be the first Mexican fighter to do it.
"We (Mexican boxing) are in a transition at the moment where the last generation is on its way out and the new one is on the way in. We are some years from finding out who is going to take the reins in Mexican boxing.
"We thought it was Antonio Margarito but that was for just one fight and then goodbye. Jorge Arce is a mediocre fighter. Really we do not have many except Marquez, who is up there on the first level."
The overall picture is far from bleak. Marquez is at the top of his game after knocking out Juan Diaz in exhilarating fashion to claim two world lightweight titles in Houston last month.
Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez continue to light up the super-bantamweight division with their rivalry while a certain Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr is unbeaten in 39 professional fights and on the cusp of a world title fight.
But Morales is right in insisting that none of them quite possess the required mixture of big punching brutality and snarling media persona which made true heroes out of so many of those who came before.
Not least the mighty Chavez, who at the height of his powers attracted an astonishing 132,247 fans to the Azteca Stadium to witness his fifth-round destruction of Greg Haugen in February 1993.
How modern-day greats Barrera and Morales would love a bit of that.
But for now they find themselves fighting only to live on borrowed time, mere stopgaps in a Mexican fighting tradition which will surely, somehow, continue to run and run.
By Mark Staniforth, PA Sport
For a nation whose boxing heritage bristles with more warriors than arguably any other, Mexico has struggled in recent times to find the next generation capable of carrying their proud tradition forward.
From the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez to the featherweight great Salvador Sanchez - who was cut down in his prime - and ferocious-punching bantamweights Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate, Mexico has seen them all.
But the recent conclusive defeat of Antonio Margarito by Shane Mosley left the country having to rely on a couple of old timers keeping retirement at bay for the moment at least.
On Saturday, Marco Antonio Barrera aims to return to the big time by beating Amir Khan in a fight slated for the WBO interim crown at the MEN Arena in Manchester.
It is a clever and calculated gamble by the Khan camp, who clearly believe Barrera is past his best, but the 35-year-old insists he is driven not by the desire for more money or fame, but by the goal of a world title at a fourth weight.
Since suffering consecutive points defeats to Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao in 2007, Barrera has eased back with two simple wins and knows Khan represents his final chance of getting back to the big time.
Meanwhile Erik Morales, a man with whom Barrera's fighting history will be for ever intertwined, has also elected to reverse an earlier retirement decision and resume his career at the age of 32.
Morales' decision is much less logical than Barrera's. Since beating Pacquaio in 2005 he has lost four straight fights - first to relative nobody Zahir Raheem, then twice in succession by stoppage to the Filipino.
Most tellingly of all, he was outpointed by the limited David Diaz in a WBC lightweight title challenge in August 2007 - his last fight before he elected to embark on a comeback, he claims, to hold a torch for Mexico.
"I want to return to boxing soon against a good opponent," Morales announced this week. "We have spoken with Golden Boy about doing a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez but have arrived at nothing concrete.
"I believe that I have a lot left and I want to go two years more at the maximum to try to conquer a fourth title at a different weight and be the first Mexican fighter to do it.
"We (Mexican boxing) are in a transition at the moment where the last generation is on its way out and the new one is on the way in. We are some years from finding out who is going to take the reins in Mexican boxing.
"We thought it was Antonio Margarito but that was for just one fight and then goodbye. Jorge Arce is a mediocre fighter. Really we do not have many except Marquez, who is up there on the first level."
The overall picture is far from bleak. Marquez is at the top of his game after knocking out Juan Diaz in exhilarating fashion to claim two world lightweight titles in Houston last month.
Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez continue to light up the super-bantamweight division with their rivalry while a certain Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr is unbeaten in 39 professional fights and on the cusp of a world title fight.
But Morales is right in insisting that none of them quite possess the required mixture of big punching brutality and snarling media persona which made true heroes out of so many of those who came before.
Not least the mighty Chavez, who at the height of his powers attracted an astonishing 132,247 fans to the Azteca Stadium to witness his fifth-round destruction of Greg Haugen in February 1993.
How modern-day greats Barrera and Morales would love a bit of that.
But for now they find themselves fighting only to live on borrowed time, mere stopgaps in a Mexican fighting tradition which will surely, somehow, continue to run and run.
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