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March 2001
Each month we bring you a selection of articles from the current and past issues of BOXING MONTHLY. To buy the magazine, see our subscription or back issues pages, or use our world distribution map to find a news-stand copy. Why not use our Interactive Forum to express your own boxing comments and opinions!
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Q & A WITH MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA This taster comprises part of Boxing Monthly's extensive preview coverage of Naseem Hamed's next fight, versus dangerous Mexican champion, Marco Antonio Barrera. Buy the March issue of the magazine for full preview coverage. |
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UNORTHODOX RIGHT-HANDER: is this the manner of shot that will bring about Barrera's downfall
- Get Big Pic In the Mexico City home of WBO super bantamweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera's parents, pride of place goes to a portrait of their son standing over the falling form of Naseem Hamed, bent double, heading straight for the canvas. The painting was given to Marco Antonio in 1998 in Atlantic City, and he will very soon have the opportunity to make the artistic prediction come true. Barrera has been waiting more than five years to get it on with Naseem. And for sure, he's training as never before. When James Blears, BM's man in the Mexican capital, visited Barrera, the champion had just returned from competing in a 10-mile Mexico City road race with his father and older brother, Jorge. Cool, refreshed and quietly confident he readily responded to questions relating to the biggest fight of his career. BM: Naseem is naturally a featherweight, while you have always fought at super bantam. Has there been an agreement for a compromise weight limit? MAB: There is not a specially arranged limit. It is going to be the 126lbs [nine stone] featherweight category. I won't have any problems at all in reaching it because I'm working with weights. BM: What is your professional analysis of Naseem Hamed? MAB: He's one of the finest champions, pound for pound. He's won WBC, IBF and WBO titles. In this way he has certainly earned and deserves a lot of respect. BM: Tell us about your preparation for this particular fight. MAB: My training routine has not changed. I'm going to Big Bear, California for 40-50 days, after doing three weeks of training in Cuajimalpa near Toluca, which is 3,300 metres above sea level. BM: Naseem moves pretty fast. What is your strategy for this? MAB: Naseem moves his head a lot, but he leaves his body open and vulnerable. So I'm going to go for the body. I'm working with specially selected Japanese sparring partners. My intention is to put Naseem under intense pressure for all the fight. BM: What's your opinion about his and your respective punching power? MAB: Yes we both hit very hard. From what I've seen of his last fights, he knocks out opponents with one or two punches. I do the same but I tend to use combinations. It is going to be an exciting fight, full of fireworks. BM: Five years ago when I interviewed you, you wanted to fight Naseem. Don't you feel a touch frustrated that you've had to wait all this time for the bout? MAB: I'm not frustrated. In fact this fight has been arranged just at the right moment. In the last two years I had a break from boxing and matured a lot physically. I have recently fought Erik Morales, and I feel ready for everything that will be involved in this fight. BM: Do you feel Naseem delayed the fight against you and the prospect of a future one against Erik Morales? MAB: Even though he doesn't want it, HBO is pressing him. Many people have criticised him for being a product of marketing. I think he is a great champion. But he has to fight against me and Erik to show his greatness. BM: If Naseem jabs and moves what will be your answer? MAB: If that happens, I will stop him with lateral movement and close him off, throwing combinations to be on him all the time. I will go for the body and head to slow him up and I'll neutralise his natural speed. BM: In the fight against Augie Sanchez, Naseem came out of it pretty badly banged up. What is your opinion? MAB: Yes I saw that fight and it was most interesting. I too will do that type of fight, because it severely pressured Naseem and he showed nervousness. BM: Wayne McCullough recently said that Naseem's punches carry more power than those of Erik Morales, but Naseem misses more and Erik is more consistent with his punches. What is your assessment of that? MAB: From the very beginning of the fight I'm going all out to see how hard he punches, and to see what type of a fight it is going to be. But it doesn't matter how hard he hits, it won't stop me from achieving my workload. BM: Is it going to be a hard fight? MAB: Yes it's going to be a very hard fight, because of our styles. I don't know whether it's going to be by knockout or by decision, because of him running or by me pressuring or visa versa. But I am confident that I will come out ahead. BM: You have tended to fight a higher calibre of opponent. Why has Naseem been more selective with his opponents? MAB: He has been very selective, but in a way it's bad because he hasn't yet proved how much he can do and just how far he can get. We have to prove to people why we are world champions. When they offered me this fight I had to put weight on. I did that. We want a Mexican to defeat Naseem Hamed. BM: What do you think of Naseem's flashy style? MAB: He certainly has not got the angel that Muhammad Ali had to do all of these things. It's part of his show to make his rival nervous, to make the rival desperate. But we have a lot of videos, and frankly we're concentrating on what he's going to do when the fight starts. BM: For you, what will be the decisive factor in this fight. MAB: The decisive factor will be my preparation, which is excellent and we've been working extremely hard. We are going to give him a fight he can't imagine and be right on top of him for every second throwing punches and pressuring him as never before. BM: When you connect well for the first time, do you think he will retaliate in kind or retreat. MAB: He can run of show his true grit. If he runs, then he'll prove he's been lying to all the people, by hand picking his opponents. BM: Will this be your hardest fight? MAB: All fights are hard. That is why I prepare so well. Instead of this being a hard fight, it will be a fascinating challenge, because Naseem is considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. I'm going to win and have his place, because he has a lot of respect from all the people. I'm going for a knockout from the beginning to the end. If it does not happen I'm going to punch it out for the entire 12 rounds. There will be no let up. BM: You have fought more recently than Naseem. Do you see this as an advantage? MAB: I don't leave a lot of time between fights. I don't know whether the gaps he leaves between fights affects him in any way or not. BM: You have gone the full distance more times than Naseem. Do you see this as a competitive advantage? MAB: Naseem is used to knockouts and is not used to fighting all the rounds under constant pressure. I've fought 12 rounds against Kennedy McKinney where I dropped him six times and he dropped me once, plus the full twelve against Erik Morales and Agapito Sanchez. I'm just as accustomed to fighting full out for 12 rounds, and my physical conditioning is always geared to the full distance. BM: What can we expect when the two of you finally meet in the ring, after the bell for round one goes? MAB: If people were thrilled by my fight against Erik Morales, then I'm confident that this one against Naseem Hamed will be even better. BM: Do you have a message for Naseem Hamed? MAB: I ask him to prepare well, because we don't want excuses before or after the fight, because I'm going to give him a fight that he's never experienced before. |
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