Marco Antonio Barrera

18 years ago today: Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales fight the first of their three great wars

18 years ago today: Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales fight the first of their three great wars

Las Vegas, February 19, 2000. Mexican warriors Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales collided for the first of three epic ring wars. Morales at the time was the new star of the 122 pound weight class and he was undefeated. He was the favorite in the match-up with Barrera for a number of reasons: one of these being the fact that Barrera has twice been beaten, by Junior Jones; who has actually stopped Barrera in their first fight. These defeats remained vivid in the minds of fight fans, and Morales of Tijuana was expected to dispatch his rival who hailed from Mexico City.

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Marco Antonio Barrera: Heading to The Hall!

Marco Antonio Barrera: Heading to The Hall!

One of Mexico’s finest, smartest and most resilient fighters, the great Marco Antonio Barrera will be inducted into The Hall of Fame in Canastota next week (along with, for one other true great, Evander Holyfield). Barrera thrilled millions of fans a number of times, his incredible fights lighting up the lower weight classes in a huge way.

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Holyfield, Barrera, Tapia, Jimmy Lennon Jr. head Boxing Hall of Fame class

Holyfield, Barrera, Tapia, Jimmy Lennon Jr. head Boxing Hall of Fame class

The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the members of the Class of 2017. Inductees include three Modern category boxers who all enter the Hall in their first year of eligibility; Mexico’s three-division champion “The Baby Faced Assassin” Marco Antonio Barrera,undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield and three-division champion Johnny “Mi Vida Loca” Tapia (posthumous). Non-participants and observers to be inducted include Australian trainer Johnny Lewis, veteran judge Jerry Roth, journalist / broadcaster Steve Farhood and broadcaster Barry Tompkins.

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Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, once bitter ring enemies, make peace with one another

Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, once bitter ring enemies, make peace with one another

In the 2000s, they engaged in one of the most fierce, genuinely hate-filled rivalries in lower weight boxing history. Super-bantamweights/ featherweights /super-featherweights Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales went to war three times – the first battle, from February of 2000 being recognised as one of the greatest fights in modern day boxing history – and they came to blows outside of the ring also. Simply put, these two did not like each other.

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