"...and finally this. This this is a pretty good night at the fights, better than
some, maybe not as good as a few others, and certainly not as transcendent as last week in that memorable fight between Barrera and Morales. James Ellwood, the novelist who wrote such books as "LA Confidential" and "Black Dahlia" and others, told me that he was sitting ringside next to a Mexican American with a big fat roll of hundred dollar bills, who was betting everybody around him last week on Morales. He took Morales and got so excited by that fight that, when all the people came over to hand him the money that they had lost, he refused to take it because he didn't want to take [take away from] the purity of that experience. Never heard a story like that. Maybe never will again, but we can hope."
Larry Merchant February 26, 2000, post fight in ring interview with Oscar De La Hoya
If there is a legitimately better fight/boxing match between two professional Mexican boxers, than I, and an untold number of other fans, and not only fans of Mexican/Hispanic decent, but fans worldwide, would wanna know about it and know about it now. This fight is renowned, and very rightfully so. And, while it almost certainly is the best fight between two Mexican fighters in the history of the sport, it is actually much more than just that. It is one of the best fights ever. Period. End of story. Stop. No. Mas. many fighters have said, whilst promoting an upcoming fight, or just hyping up themselves, something along the lines of "I will leave my life in that ring if that is what is necessary for me to win this fight..." and while it often comes across as a hyperbole laden sales pitch, this isn't that. This is two fighters who, whether they ever said it in relation to this fight I am unawares, but this is what that statement looks like in action. Brutally violent, yet fought with sweet science. The stereotype of the Mexican boxer has long been a type of backhanded compliment. "They are slow, continuously plodding forward fighters who can't fight going backwards and are gonna take 3 shots to land the left hook to the liver..." or slightly more than a punching bag, or, better yet even, basically a punching bag that will punch back on occasion. The best Mexican fighters, at least going back to Saldivar, while for the most part, appear to be offensively aggressive, and often are coming forward, there is also subtle defensive movements that aren't easy to see to the uninitiated fan. There's two masters of such here in this fight. Both Barrera and Morales were excellent at rolling with punches, softening the blow or not even taking it, the punches of opponents often missing by fractions of nothing. Head and waist movement help in being able to stay in the pocket to land your big shots, often to the body, without taking much punishment in return, or at least on ones best days. Anyway, these guys were so damn good. This fight was so damn ridiculously good. When I watch this fight, every time I watch this damn fight, by the 10th rd or so I start to feel an almost disappointment that one of these men will have to be judged a loser. And while like many, at the end of the whole show here, I think Barrera was the winner of the sporting contest, especially considering he was credited with the false knockdown in the last round. I mean shit, that right there should seal his victory easyfucking peezy, buuuuut.....PROFESSIONAL BOXING!! But, again, neither should be judged a loser. Both gave efforts, and both gave themselves, literally gave themselves that night, and giving as much as they did does not allow for calling either man a loser. The only losers are people who claim to love the sport and have not watched this fight yet. So, don't be a loser.
Jabs Morales Barrera
Landed 29 27
Thrown 145 107
Percent 20% 25%
Power Punches Morales Barrera
Landed 290 272
Thrown 723 511
Percent 40% 53%
Total Punches Morales Barrera
Landed 319 299
Thrown 868 618
Percent 37% 48%
