Marco Antonio Barrera. Best wins? Fact.

[Fenster]

I was just reading a piece about Barrera (one of my favourite fighters ever). What are the victories that make him an all-time great? (5 will do)

[Master]

Morales x2
Naz
McKinney
Ayala

[IamInuit]

I see what you did there @Fenster.


Excellent point

[mikeeod]

The McKinney fight was a war! First Boxing After Dark card if I remember correctly. Marcos was a beast n Kennedy fought his heart out. I knew Barrera would be great when I saw that fight, although I never expected him to become so versatile n box so well behind his jab. I guess his loss to Junior Jones had that affect though.... The Johnny Tapia win was pretty good too, although I think Mast nailed his biggest wins. It wasn't just who he beat though, but how he beat them. Guy is an easy ATG.

[Master]

I thought the McKinney fight would finish Barrera. It is amazing that he got even better and being versatile helped.

[Dark Lord Al]

I enjoyed his fights with Ivy Jones.

[Fenster]

I was reading an interview Barrera gave about who he considered was his best win. I thought it was obviously Morales - a fellow all-time great. He doesn't think so. Then I was looking at his opposition.

McKinney was a great fight/win. But he got beat twice by Vuyani Bungu. So you can't call him great.

Tapia is a legend but can he be regarded as great? He fought Barrera coming off the "robbery of the year" against Manuel Medina. Ayala beat him twice.

Junior Jones ironed Barrera out and did him again in the rematch. He can't be great. Paul Ingle smashed him to bits.

Kevin Kelley had several losses, to guys you wouldn't call "great," by time Barrera fought him.

Apart from Morales... Barrera doesn't have a single win against a "great" fighter in their prime. Is he overrated?

[Fenster]

The McKinney fight was a war! First Boxing After Dark card if I remember correctly. Marcos was a beast n Kennedy fought his heart out. I knew Barrera would be great when I saw that fight, although I never expected him to become so versatile n box so well behind his jab. I guess his loss to Junior Jones had that affect though.... The Johnny Tapia win was pretty good too, although I think Mast nailed his biggest wins. It wasn't just who he beat though, but how he beat them. Guy is an easy ATG.

Great point.

[oakleyno1]

I'd put him into great for his 12th round Naz head into the ringpost

Aside from that it's got to be Morales imo - although Naz I genuinely think would have troubled almost anyone and Barrera did him about 9-3 - very very impressive

[SlimTrae]

Morales x2
Naz
McKinney
Ayala

I wanted to put Naz first because of Naz's ranking, but since Naz walked away that fight imo was more of MAB exposing a fighter.

[AdamGB]

I see what you did there @Fenster.


Excellent point

Passive aggressiveness aside though, I only asked Facster to tell me what he thought Hamed's single best win was, when Facster failed to chose one due to there being 'too many' (his words) to choose from did I cut him some slack and suggest 5.

5 is an arbitrary number, I only asked for one and I'm still waiting for it.

With Barrera it's an easy pick... Morales.
Not only was Morales a(nother) undefeated, two weight champion for Barrera to beat, he was able to follow up his first loss to MaB by reclaiming his belt and then winning and defending the WBC title in a third weight class, he then followed up his second loss to MaB by beating Manny Pacquaio and 6 years later even won a title in a 4th weight class, long after most would write him off.

Sure (like everybody else at the top) Morales dispatched of the likes of Kevin Kelly, but it's how Morales fought on and continued to achieve even after losing to MaB that put him on that next tier. It's not just wins, it's how defeat is followed.

The one thing Morales, Marquez, Barrera, Marquez and Pac have in common is that they all fought and beat at least one (not five, lol) person from that list, for me that's a criteria you need to meet before we even consider debating you the best of that era.

Beating guys a level below that, but in impressive fashion helps, but it's not enough alone. What if RJJ didn't have a W over Hopkins and Toney? Would he still be seen as a great middle-super middle by as many?

[Spicoli]

He was matched solid from the jump once he made debut in states and while the biggest names don't always equate to best wins he was smacking around a run of solid guys leading to McKinney war. His ability to adjust and boxing was their Jones rematch well before it shocked folks with Naz. The Maurin fight put me to sleep. The Cook fight was sensational. Dudes a legend, simple as. He broke you down

[Reginald Perrin]

Marco Antonio Barrera was a delightful fighter who has given me hours of exquisite joy from his manly tussles. I would say his 5 biggest wins are Morales, Morales again, Hamed, McKinney and Ayala. There appears to be a pattern in picking these wins judging by previous posts in this thread. Barrera has many wins over solid competition, but the really big ones are Morales and Naz. It's fair to say that Barrera had trouble with some fighters, but on the whole asides from those few (who he also re-matched) he was unlucky to lose against Marquez and Khan.

[SugarBoxing]

I was just reading a piece about Barrera (one of my favourite fighters ever). What are the victories that make him an all-time great? (5 will do)

What do you offer?

[Fenster]

I see what you did there @Fenster.


Excellent point

Passive aggressiveness aside though, I only asked Facster to tell me what he thought Hamed's single best win was, when Facster failed to chose one due to there being 'too many' (his words) to choose from did I cut him some slack and suggest 5.

5 is an arbitrary number, I only asked for one and I'm still waiting for it.

With Barrera it's an easy pick... Morales.
Not only was Morales a(nother) undefeated, two weight champion for Barrera to beat, he was able to follow up his first loss to MaB by reclaiming his belt and then winning and defending the WBC title in a third weight class, he then followed up his second loss to MaB by beating Manny Pacquaio and 6 years later even won a title in a 4th weight class, long after most would write him off.

Sure (like everybody else at the top) Morales dispatched of the likes of Kevin Kelly, but it's how Morales fought on and continued to achieve even after losing to MaB that put him on that next tier. It's not just wins, it's how defeat is followed.

The one thing Morales, Marquez, Barrera, Marquez and Pac have in common is that they all fought and beat at least one (not five, lol) person from that list, for me that's a criteria you need to meet before we even consider debating you the best of that era.

Beating guys a level below that, but in impressive fashion helps, but it's not enough alone. What if RJJ didn't have a W over Hopkins and Toney? Would he still be seen as a great middle-super middle by as many?

Hold up.

1. I answered the question about "Naz best win" the best way I could. I couldn't decide so tried to break it down fighter by fighter starting with Steve Robinson. You ignored discussing Robinson but then stated that

- you'd rather not discuss the ins and outs of Kevin Kelley's career if that's ok.

Naz never beat a legend in the mold of Pac or Morales so it's hard to pinpoint the best amongst all the world-class fighters he beat. How is that not reasonable?

2. Naz was the best featherweight of his time. Not the best fighter. Featherweight. If he wasn't then who was?

3. Morales is Barrera's best win. Agreed. Although Barrera himself doesn't think so.