Where was Barrera?

SAN ANTONIO – Former WBC superfeatherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera was a no-show at the Alamodome here Saturday night.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said earlier he expected the Baby-Faced Assassin to appear at the scene where he lost to Manny Pacquiao on an 11th round knockout in 2003 and sit at ringside to size up the Filipino icon against Jorge Solis.

Arum said Barrera has sent feelers that he could be available for a rematch with Pacquiao even as WBC president Jose Sulaiman recently announced the Mexican is being persuaded by his family to retire from the ring.

"I don’t know where he is," said Arum when asked why Barrera failed to show up.

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It took five stitches to sew up Pacquiao’s cut over the left eyelid.

After blasting Solis into submission, Pacquiao went to the dressing room, showered, got stitched and dressed up for an interview on the GMA and Solar Sports networks then faced the media in a press conference presided by Arum.

The only clear stain in Pacquiao’s face was the cut. Otherwise, he looked none the worse for wear.

Pacquiao ran from the dressing room to the interview spot near the ring because he didn’t want to keep the audience waiting.

That morning at 10, Fr. Marlon Beof of New York celebrated Mass in Pacquiao’s fifth floor suite at the Radisson Hotel on Durango.

In the offertory, Pacquiao brought his fighting shoes, trunks, cup protector, robe, shirt and the Philippine flag to be carried into the ring by Rey Golingan to Fr. Beof at the makeshift altar to be blessed.

In the prayers of the faithful, Pacquiao asked the Lord to spare both Solis and him from injury in their fight and thanked Him for all His blessings.

Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin (Jeng) Gacal and brother Rogelio arrived late the previous night after their connecting flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix to San Antonio was delayed.

On our part, it took Solar producer Andrew Santiago and me 24 hours to reach San Antonio from Manila. We left Manila at 10:30 p.m. Thursday and arrived in San Antonio at 10:30 a.m. Friday. – Joaquin Henson