Recalling the Trilogy Between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera

Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera gave the boxing world a trilogy of fights that will live long in memory.

The two Mexicans were bitter rivals in the ring. While hostility between boxers can sometimes be manufactured to help create interest, Morales and Barrera had a genuine dislike for each other.

They were different in their methods—Morales was a tall, talented puncher, while Barrera was a short, stout boxer who loved to work up close.

The one common factor between the pair was their desire for success, particularly at the expense of the other.

Morales—who turns 39 on Tuesday—finished his career with a 52-9 record, having won world titles in four different weight classes.

Barrera was 67-7 when he finally hung up his gloves. He had been a five-time national champion as an amateur too.

Here, Bleacher Report looks back at all three episodes in a story that captivated fans around the world.

Where: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas

When: February 19, 2000

Background

Both fighters held a version of a world title at super bantamweight. 

Morales was the WBC champion, having claimed the belt by knocking out Daniel Zaragoza in 1997. He had successfully defended it eight times before meeting Barrera, including outpointing Wayne McCullough. 

Barrera, meanwhile, had claimed the vacant WBO strap in 1998, beating Richie Wenton.

He had, though, lost twice in previous attempts to pick up the same title, both times to Junior Jones. Morales had no such problems when he came up against Jones in 1998, stopping him in the fourth round.

The rivalry between the two Mexicans was already bubbling under the surface, though what led to the animosity was unclear.

There was talk of a knockdown during a sparring session, while their different backgrounds did not lend to them becoming friends, as Paul Gibson explained in the Guardian:

For others, it was simply the inevitable result of the two boxers’ distinct backgrounds: an unavoidable class war with the added spice of regional rivalry thrown in for good measure.

Morales, the working-class street kid from the ghettos of Tijuana, was never going to get along with Barrera, the educated, middle-class, big-city boy from El Distrito Federal, they say.

The fact they were from different parts of Mexico also helped fan the flames of competition, as they battled to take over from Julio Cesar Chavez as the country's leading boxing icon.

The Fight

Having traded insults in the buildup, the two didn’t wait long to start trading leather once the first bell sounded (though they did not touch gloves beforehand).

Barrera claimed the centre of the ring early and looked to work the body. Morales, though, was not a difficult target to locate. He responded with combinations, working in short bursts.

The fifth round was both brilliant and brutal.

Morales’ right hand began to land regularly for the first time, forcing his rival to cover up under pressure. But Barrera weathered the storm in the first half of the round, before launching an attack of his own that wobbled his compatriot.

Neither man was knocked down during an epic three minutes, though there was late drama in the final round.

After the pair finally touched gloves before going back into battle, with Barrera also offering a nod of appreciation, the 12th saw Morales go down for the first time in his career.

It wasn’t a heavy fall, in fact far from it. Under pressure he simply wilted, dropping a knee to the canvas.

Referee Mitch Halpern spotted it and began a count, much to the obvious annoyance of El Terrible. When the action resumed, he flew at Barrera in a bid to score a knockdown of his own in the closing seconds.

The Verdict

Despite the final round, Morales won the fight by split decision (113-114, 114-113 and 115-112).

Barrera looked disconsolate when the verdict was announced.

Morales said afterward, per Steve Springer of the Los Angeles Times, "People needed a great fight and we gave it to them."

Per CompuBox stats (h/t BoxRec), Morales threw 868 punches compared to Barrera’s 618, though he landed only 20 more (319 compared to 299).

Morales relinquished the titles to move up in weight. He later admitted he made a mistake in agreeing to the bout at the 122-pound limit, per Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene: "It killed me to make the limit of 122 pounds and I did not climb into the ring at 100 percent."

Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas

When: June 22, 2002

Background

The pair went their separate ways at different weights after the first meeting, with Morales moving up to campaign at featherweight.

He claimed the interim WBC title by stopping American Kevin Kelley in his next outing and then became full champion by outpointing Guty Espadas Jr. in 2001.

After one successful defence against the brave but outclassed In-Jin Chi in Los Angeles, Morales put his belt on the line against Barrera in the summer of 2002 (the bout had initially been set to take place in March, except Barrera picked up a rib injury).

His compatriot had continued campaigning at super bantamweight, recording three victories before stepping up to the 126-pound limit for the chance to take on Naseem Hamed.

He duly took the Prince’s unbeaten record, despite being deducted a point for pushing the Englishman’s head into a turnbuckle in the final round.

Morales and Barrera came to blows long before they met again in the ring, however.

A press conference staged in Houston late in 2001 saw Barrera challenge his rival to repeat a Mexican slur he had used about his rival’s sexuality.

When Morales duly obliged as the pair stood side by side, The Baby-Faced Assassin responded with a right hand. Although the brawl was brief, it only served to pour petrol on an already heated rivalry.

Per James Blears of BBC Sport, Barrera said: "I think he's an excellent boxer and a marvelous champion. But as a person he's insular, he doesn't think, talks for talking sake, and he's annoyed me greatly by behaving in this ridiculous way.”

The Fight

Morales was on a 41-fight unbeaten streak going into the bout, which was promoted as the "Ultimate Feud."

In the rematch he was the more dominant early on, with his opponent allowing him to work too often from long range.

But after a slow start, Barrera slowly worked his way back into the contest. He found a way to get up close enough to do damage on Morales, who tired as each round ticked by.

There was another controversial knockdown too, though this time it was Barrera who touched the canvas after being caught off balance by a body shot.

However, referee Jay Nady ruled it as a slip, believing the pair's feet had become tangled.

It was a brave call from the official, as Barrera clearly reached back and touched down with a glove.

An eye injury bothered Morales in the second half of the fight, though when the final bell sounded he threw up his arms in celebration.

The second bout is seen by many as the most technical of the three, though as Paul Gibson wrote in the Guardian, "To suggest that either boxer performed quiescently is akin to describing Usain Bolt’s 9.72 second 100m in New York in 2008 as pedestrian compared to later runs in Beijing and Berlin."

The Verdict

All three judges were in agreement—Barrera was the unanimous winner.

Two of the three scored it 115-113 in Barrera's favour, with the other giving it to him by a margin of 116-112.

With the result, Morales suffered his first professional loss. He said of the scoring, per Ken Mannion of the Independent: "I still think I won the fight. He did nothing the first six or seven rounds."

In his report for MaxBoxing.com (h/t ESPN), Doug Fischer wrote: “The bottom line is that it was close. CompuBox punch stats revealed that both men connected on 34 percent of their total punches (Barrera landed 207 of 607 punches thrown, while Morales found the mark with 205 of the 599 shots he threw).”

Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas

When: November 27, 2004

Background

While a third fight between Barrera and Morales seemed a certainty considering the controversial results in the first two bouts, the boxing public had to wait to see it.

Smarting from his first pro defeat, Morales went on an impressive six-fight winning streak.

He quickly reclaimed the WBC featherweight title after Barrera had vacated it, outpointing Paulie Ayala to become a world champion again.

Morales then took the decision to move up to super featherweight, winning both the WBC and IBF belts (although he was stripped of the latter for refusing to fight his top challenger, Robbie Peden).

Meanwhile, Barrera recorded victories over Johnny Tapia and Kevin Kelley before running into a hungry young fighter by the name of Manny Pacquiao. Pac-Man stopped him in the 11th round.

The Baby-Faced Assassin bounced back with a win over former Morales opponent Ayala in what would be his final bout at featherweight, as he agreed to move up to 130 pounds to take on his old foe again.

The rivalry wasn’t just between the two fighters, though.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum promoted Morales. He had also previously been in the same role with Oscar De La Hoya, who ended their working relationship to start up his own company, Golden Boy Promotions.

De La Hoya signed up Barrera, which meant the two former associates now found themselves in opposite corners for a fight dubbed "Once And For All."

The Fight

In a reversal to the second bout, Barrera started brightly and damaged Morales’ nose in the second round.

His early dominance was surprising, considering he was making his debut at the weight. He was giving away several pounds and a few inches, yet found a way to negate both disadvantages by setting a high tempo.

Morales took his time to get to grips with the task in hand. He left himself with work to do, and as the rounds ticked by he became more and more desperate.

The last six minutes saw the pair stand toe-to-toe and slug it out. In naming the bout his fight of the year for 2004, Dan Rafael of USA Today wrote:

Although there were no knockdowns, there was plenty of skill and heart on display, including in the wild 11th round and the almost as exciting 12th.

As the breathtaking fight came to a close, HBO's Jim Lampley summed it up: "They'll savagely trade until the final bell! My God what a fight! ... What these two guys have given to the sport can't be quantified.

Neither man could force a stoppage, which meant once again the judges at ringside had to decide the winner.

The Verdict

Barrera got the nod from two of the three officials, with the other scoring it a 114-114 draw.

The result meant The Baby-Faced Assassin was crowned the new WBC super featherweight champion. He said in the immediate aftermath, per BBC Sport: "It was the most rewarding fight of my career. I did this fight to show all boxing fans that this is what boxing is all about."

Morales, however, had to reflect on a second career defeat at the hands of his archenemy.

A fourth meeting seemed possible at the time but never materialised. Morales went up in weight, at one staging fighting at 147 pounds.

Barrera, meanwhile, held onto the WBC strap until 2007, when he lost it to Juan Manuel Marquez. He also suffered another defeat at the hands of Pacquiao.

Thankfully, though, two modern-day greats of Mexican boxing have buried the hatchet.

Morales said of his relationship with Barrera in 2010, per Mark Vester of BoxingScene.com: “Things happen but we are friends. Time heals all wounds.”