Barrera not retiring, eyes rematch with Pacquiao

Shunning calls for retirement, Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera yesterday announced his call for a rematch with the very fighter who nearly ended his celebrated boxing career last November.

In an interview with Boxingtalk.com, Barrera’s trainer Roberto Diaz said his ward is raring to return to the ring against a worthy opponent as part of his own buildup for a rematch with Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

"We do not know the day or the time, as of yet, but Marco wants a rematch with Pacquiao," said Diaz.

Going up a weight heavier at 126-lbs and fighting as a 1-3 underdog, Pacquiao demolished Barrera in 11 rounds of a stunning but one-sided contest at the Alamodome to herald the emergence of a new boxing hero.

But the Barrera camp refused to completely accept that humiliating defeat, citing various factors that distracted the fancied fighter considered as one of the world’s best pound-for-pound boxers in his buildup for that match.

"Those who know him (Barrera), know that that was not him who fought on Nov. 15. He was a shadow of himself due to various problems and distractions," said Diaz.

Making references to Barrera’s rebirth after two consecutive losses to Junior Jones earlier in his career, Diaz concluded by saying, "This is not the first time Barrera has found himself in a situation like this and we will look for Pacquiao in 2004."

Barrera is slated to return to the ring on the undercard of the middleweight unification bout between Shane Mosley and Winky Wright.

Several opponents are being eyed for the "Baby-Faced Assassin" from Mexico, who will turn 30 years old on Jan. 17, but nothing is definite yet at this stage.

The Pacquiao-Barrera rematch actually got a boost after American millionaire Louis Pearlman contacted eminent lawyer-sportsman and former WBC secretary-general Rudy Salud, a well-respected personality in Philippine boxing, to inform the latter of his intent to bankroll the rematch sometime in April in Manila.

But Salud has since withdrawn from the negotiations to stage the Pacquiao-Barrera Part II here in Manila.

While Barrera has tentatively set his ring comeback, perhaps as a prelude to an eventual return bout with his Filipino tormentor, Pacquiao’s next fight remains a big question mark. — Dante Navarro