MANILA, Philippines - Marco Antonio Barrera is just one of those who were surprised to see Juan Manuel Marquez score a devastating knockout over Manny Pacquiao last December in Las Vegas.
Barrera was at ringside, as a commentator for a Mexican television, when Marquez stopped Pacquiao with one punch and only one second left in the sixth round at the MGM Grand.
“I was surprised that Marquez knocked out Pacquiao,” said Barrera, who’s in Cebu City for the WBO light-flyweight title fight between Filipino Donnie Nietes and Mexican Moises Fuentes.
It’s the first time Barrera visited the Philippines, and he easily won the hearts of the Cebuanos, according to a report by Philboxing.
The great Mexican champion who fought and lost twice to Pacquiao was full of class. He only had nice words to say to Filipinos.
He graced Friday’s official weigh-in and then attended a media dinner.
Barrera, who fought Pacquiao in 2003 and 2008, said what surprised him during the fight at the MGM last Dec. 8 was that Marquez didn’t do anything different inside the ring.
It was the same old Marquez, arguably the best counter-puncher in the sport today. And it was the same right straight that did the damage as in his first three encounters with Pacquiao.
“Marquez did not do anything new in training. He used the same punches,” said Barrera.
Marquez floored Pacquiao with a sweeping right to the side of the head in the third round, but the Filipino icon dropped Marquez in the fifth.
Pacquiao had Marquez in his hands in the sixth but made the costly mistake of going for the kill in the closing seconds, and got caught by a powerful right straight just before the bell.
It took a couple of minutes for Pacquiao to get up on his feet.
Barrera was not around Marquez when the 39-year-old Mexican trained for four months under Nacho Beristain and conditioning expert Angel Hernandez.
“I cannot explain it. Maybe he has a very good doctor,” said Barrera, without further elaborating.
Talks are on for a fifth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez, and if it happens by the end of the year, Barrera will be at ringside once more.
He thinks Pacquiao still has the upperhand.
Barrera tried to look back at his rivalry with Pacquiao, particularly their first meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
“It was a tough fight, but I know I lost to the best of the best,” he said.
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