BARRERA QUESTIONS MARQUEZ' SUDDEN POWER IN PACQUIAO FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 04 Mar 2013
Three-time world champion, Mexico?s genuine legend Marco Antonio Barrera has questioned the suddenly acquired power in the punch of Juan Manuel Marquez following his crushing 6th round knockout of Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last December 8.
In a wide-ranging conversation with the Manila Standard in Cebu City where he watched the WBO world light flyweight title fight between champion Donnie Nietes and Mexico?s WBO minimum weight champion Moises Fuentes who trained in Barrera?s gym in Mexico and is managed by his brother Jorge Barrera, the ?Baby Faced Assassin? said it was ?a big surprise, a big surprise.?
Barrera told us ?when Marquez dropped Pacquiao I said it's terrible because he (Marquez) has no good punch. When he dropped Pacquiao in the 3rd round I said what happened??
Barrera lamented the fact that ?the beautiful sport of boxing? has changed so much with the use of performance enhancing drugs and steroids by some fighters.
He said ?now things are new? and at times when you see the fighter on the scales "you say oh my God what?s he doing?"
Referring to the Pacquiao fight where Marquez bulked up and was muscular without gaining weight Barrera said ?I don?t know what happened? even as he pointed out that ?people see nothing (referring to the boxing commissions) and the doctor can put steroids in the body.?
He said such use of illegal drugs is unfair to fighters ?when you are working very hard and do everything natural.?
Barrera reiterated his admiration for Pacquiao stating ?I respect him because we fought twice and he beat me and I have no excuses. In the ring we are warriors but outside the ring we are close friends.?
Photo: Marco Antonio Barrera (R) climbs the ring to be in Fuentes's corner. Photo by Dong Secuya.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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