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The third, and probably NOT final encounter between bitter Mexican rivals Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales lived up to very high expectations and was another intense classic. But how disappointing that Erik's sportsmanship does not match his extraordinary talents!
As I predicted, Erik's face ended up a roadmap of bumps, and he's nursing a suspected broken nose. That's the way it is with Erik. In the times I've seen him spar, he's often ended up with a bloody nose or a scuff mark, and that's before the fight proper. But that does not reflect on the magnificent performance he turned in, after a somewhat surprising slow start.
Erik never, never gives up, and he actually staggered Marco in the final round, to maintain the nail biting suspense right up to the final bell.
Where I do take issue, is his refusal to shake hands after it was all over. OK he's made it patently clear that he does not want to be friends with Marco, now or in the future. But the handshake is a professional courtesy. Marco who's no angel himself did try to make the gesture by going over to Erik's corner, but Erik spurned him.
Two wrongs don't make a right. Marco should not have smacked Erik with a stinger to the kisser at a press conference prior to their second fight. Just as Erik should not have provoked that situation by calling Marco a maricon-gay. But surely Erik should be big enough to have put that in the past, where is so obviously belongs.
The post fight venom that Joe Frazier has harbored for so many years against Muhammad Ali for the latter's cruel verbal barbs, has not done him any good. [details]
As I predicted, Erik's face ended up a roadmap of bumps, and he's nursing a suspected broken nose. That's the way it is with Erik. In the times I've seen him spar, he's often ended up with a bloody nose or a scuff mark, and that's before the fight proper. But that does not reflect on the magnificent performance he turned in, after a somewhat surprising slow start.
Erik never, never gives up, and he actually staggered Marco in the final round, to maintain the nail biting suspense right up to the final bell.
Where I do take issue, is his refusal to shake hands after it was all over. OK he's made it patently clear that he does not want to be friends with Marco, now or in the future. But the handshake is a professional courtesy. Marco who's no angel himself did try to make the gesture by going over to Erik's corner, but Erik spurned him.
Two wrongs don't make a right. Marco should not have smacked Erik with a stinger to the kisser at a press conference prior to their second fight. Just as Erik should not have provoked that situation by calling Marco a maricon-gay. But surely Erik should be big enough to have put that in the past, where is so obviously belongs.
The post fight venom that Joe Frazier has harbored for so many years against Muhammad Ali for the latter's cruel verbal barbs, has not done him any good. [details]
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