Barrera mentally fit?

While Manny Pacquiao has had distractions leading to the fight, Marco Antonio Barrera has faced questions about a brain surgery he had in 2001, one where a metal plate was placed somewhere in his skull.

“It’s just a plate,” he said, not saying actually if it was an operation that was called for due to a ring injury or an accident.

“No, for the headache that my wife gives to me,” he joked.

“Look, I’m normal. It’s just something that my doctor advised me. This is a contact sport. You cannot pick up a fight if you’re not fit. It could be a problem if you’re not physically and mentally fit.

“It’s been such a long time that I’ve felt this good,” said Barrera, referred to during Wednesday’s press conference as “the challenger.” – Abac Cordero