Rocky ready for MAB!!

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_3823995

Juarez is ready for Barrera
Robert Morales, Staff writer



Marco Antonio Barrera. That name alone has been enough to scare prizefighters toiling from 122 to 130 pounds the past several years.
"Not Rocky Juarez. He is the young fellow from Houston who represented the U.S. in the 2000"Olympics, losing a controversial decision in the gold-medal bout at 125"pounds. He has been on the big stage before, so challenging Barrera for his World Boxing Council super featherweight championship Saturday at Staples Center puts no fear into the heart of this Texan.

"I have never doubted my talent, my potential and my heart, stepping into the ring against any fighter," Juarez said.

Barrera is not just any fighter.

He is one of the greatest fighters ever from Mexico. And even though Juarez has a solid record of 25-1 with 18"knockouts, he has not faced anyone near the caliber of Barrera, who is 61-4 with

42 knockouts and has won world championships in three"weight classes.

Juarez also will be moving up to the 130-pound super featherweight division. He has fought a few fights at 127-129 pounds, but for the most part, he mostly has competed in the 126-pound featherweight division. Juarez is ranked No. 5 by the WBC in the featherweight division.

Barrera has also moved up in weight a couple of times during his career. But that's Barrera, a living legend who, at 32, still has plenty left.

Juarez laughs at the notion he is biting off more than he can chew.

"Since I was 17 going on 18, I have been at (featherweight)," said Juarez, 26, who turned pro three months shy of his 21st birthday. "So, moving up to 130 pounds, I feel like I'm going to be more comfortable."

It's only a four-pound jump from featherweight to super featherweight, and Juarez said he has put the weight on well.

"We definitely are doing something we didn't do in any of my other fights, and that was get a strength and conditioning coach," Juarez said. "We've been doing a lot of swimming, doing different things that we feel are going to benefit me for this fight."

Juarez said he also will benefit from the knowledge that it doesn't get any bigger than fighting Barrera. That's why, he said, he is having the best camp of his professional career.

"Physically and mentally, the way we are preparing for this fight, I feel good. ... I got this good feeling in me," Juarez said. "There are no butterflies. There is that feeling before I go to bed every once in a while, you know, who I'm fighting, but that's the excitement. That's the motivation that every day I wake up to, to go to the gym and train harder."

(Juarez almost didn't get here)

Juarez is probably fortunate to be in a high-profile fight like this, one that will be televised by HBO.

Flashback to last Aug. 20. Juarez was supposed to be fighting champion Injin Chi for his WBC featherweight title, but Chi had suffered an injury and was forced to pull out. Juarez instead fought Humberto Soto for the interim championship with the winner getting a shot at Chi once Chi recovered.

Unable to get himself in the right frame of mind because of the disappointment of the situation, Juarez lost a close


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unanimous decision to a fighter he was expected to beat. Not that Soto was a slouch.

Undaunted, Juarez came back to stop veteran Reynaldo Hurtado in the third round and Backlin Medrano, a club fighter, in the fourth round.

Juarez then lucked out when Jesus Chavez got injured and had to pull out of his fight with Barrera, who was going to challenge Chavez for his lightweight belt.

As down as Juarez was mentally prior to his fight with Soto, he said he is that up for Saturday's fight against Barrera.

"This is a totally difference atmosphere," he said. "I was supposed to be fighting for the WBC title that night when I fought Soto. Now, going into this fight, there is that mental preparation that, you go into this fight and say, This is for all the marbles.'

"As far as that Soto fight, you kind of knew that some of that spark ... you know, having to step back and having to fight this guy and having to beat him and then you get another shot at the title. It was sort of a mental letdown."

Juarez figures to have plenty of problems Saturday, but suffering a mental letdown won't be one of them



Anyone giving Rocky a chance? Can MAB go to war at this age? I have not seen him go to war since the third EM fight,that was a whiiiiile ago!