Marco Antonio Barrera W12 NAMEEM Hamed

MGM Grand, April 7, 2001

Graham Houston

Sometimes there are ingredients of nervousness, and the observer does not always see them.

So, when Prince Naseem Hamed entered the ring for his 12-round-Peniev by Marco Antonio Barrera on the Grand Garden Arena, located at the MGM Grand Casino Hotel, April 7, 2001.

Hamed brought 35-0, 31 KO, to fight. He was an obvious favorite. It is worth recalling that Hamed in its excellent level was speedy, flashy, had a rapid reflex and seemed possessed with almost unnatural forceful power from his Southpaw attitude.

However, the bold and brave showman Sheffield showed signs of slip. The prince had an ugly victory over Mexico Cesar Soto in a messy fight. And in the last fight of Hamed before the meeting with Barrera, the huge weaker Sanchez seemed to drop him in the second round, although the judge ruled.

Meanwhile, Barrera had only four months before the meeting with Hamed, she probably assured the most developed and refined performance of her career in stopping Jesus Saluda at a retirement after six rounds.

Former 122 pounds master, Salud won eight fights in a row, but the Filipino-Hawaiian boxer never had a chance for Barrera, who seemed to reach a fresh level.

It is true that Up-to-date Yorker Junior Jones beat Barrera twice, and even stopped him in the fifth round during the first meeting (but recorded as DQ, because Barrera’s guides entered the ring and the round is still going on). But Barrera was now seemingly a fresh warrior: forceful, bright, well balanced in all areas.

And there were disturbing signs emanating from the Hamed camp. Hamed decided to train in a fight in the luxurious surroundings of the former Bing Crosby estate in Rancho Mirage, the Californian enclave of wealthy and privileged 11 miles from the exclusive desert Palm Springs community. Meanwhile, Barrera polished in an almost Spartan environment in Gigantic Bear in the Mountains of San Bernardino east of Los Angeles.

Hamed had two coaches to fight, and the great steward of Emanuel worked basically in the advisory capacity along with Oscar Suarez, coach Up-to-date Jersey Puerto Rican Heritage.

The steward did not leave and did not say, but in the weeks preceding the Easter Night he did not have a good feeling, which was always to be the most complex fight of Hamed. Residence Rancho Mirage with chandeliers, swimming pool, miniature golf course and traps wealthy in life did not seem perfect to prepare a great fight. In addition, as Emanuel told me later, he felt that Hamed did not spill enough rounds.

Hamed focused on the reporter who were invited to a meeting with the prince in his training quarters. “When I went to Hamed’s camp – it is really psychological – he was about one and a half hours at the end, before he appeared,” recalled reporter Steve Kim. “It was in a very affected area. Each house at home for a million dollars. “

And the Barrera camp? “What really hit me was that the day we went there, all Barrera worked was boxing and hitting his back foot – and hit,” said Kim.

“Everything really concerned defense and foundations and work with JAB. So I knew that the plan was, at least at the moment to counteract the blow and really box, and leave from the left Hamed’s meter.

“I thought that technically, in terms of preparation and mentally, Barrera had a huge advantage in all three of these areas.”

But who was one of the few who won Barrera to win.

Hamed was installed as a 2/5 favorite (-250 in American opportunities]at MGM Grand Buttersbook.

On the weight of the day before the fight, Hamed, 27-year-old, went through the stage to shouts from a huge contingent of British fans, apparently with certainly the world. Barrera, also 27, looked like a peaceful professional.

For the first time I noticed that although Barrera increased from 122 to 126 pounds, he looked not only to higher, but actually Greater than Hamed. Meanwhile, the money appeared in Hamed a few hours before the fight – perhaps from British hostages – exceeding its price to a range of 2/7.

As always, during the great Vegas fight, the noise of expectations appeared in the air. Chris Eubank swayed, Natty in a brown leather bomber jacket, jodhpurs and shoes driving and wearing a decorative cane. “I would go anywhere to watch a good fight – even Mars,” he told me.

Like most people, I believed that Hamed would win, but sitting in the ring and struggle I had a restless feeling.

The crowd of 12,847 years became restless, waiting for the fight to start. One of the hands of Hamed was wrapped again; It seemed that the original packaging did not seem right for Hamed. The scenes behind the scenes were displayed on huge television screens of the arena. It seemed to me that Hamed looked tight, unusually worried. In the wardrobe, the Mexican warrior smiled and looked relaxed.

Finally, an hour after the last initial fight, Hamed was ready. His entrances have always been spectacular, but for the first time in Las Vegas he promised something special. He was to “fly” to the ring on a camera similar to a trapezoid.

And so Hamed began to go down high above the arena floor. I immediately noticed that he had a restless appearance – and who could blame him? It was far down. In his entrance, they barely caught their breath. Then something disturbing happened. Spectator threw a liquid at him – presumably beer – from a plastic cup. Hamed turned towards the perpetrator and gave way in enraged words. He looked like a ratchet. There were both bars and shouts.

After the ground level, Hamed dismounted and entered the ring apron. We were waiting for his usual puncture over the ropes. Hamed grabbed the upper rope with gloves, hesitated, and then crossed the ropes, almost as if he lost his nerves at the last minute.

All this did not design Hamed’s chance against the best warrior he met.

Hamed left his title WBO Piórka -Piór so that he could meet Barrera on PPV, instead of defending the obligatory defense against a smaller opponent in Istvan Kovacs in Hungary. The Ibo title was to give the status of the Barrai championship.

And when the fight began, it was clear that Hamed was in great trouble. Barrera got up and boxed, using his height and range. His left stab held Hamed outside. Suddenly Barrera landed a left catch and Hamed’s body seemed divergent. A patient flashed, who told us that he was wounded. Barrera was stone.

It was a dream for Barrera, who, to my surprise, looked like a hit in a fight.

As the rounds of the rounds, Barrera withdrew further at points. Hamed landed hefty shots, but Barrera was able to take them.

Barrera was stable and disciplined, solid as stone in her technique. Hamed fought his hands through the sides, even seemingly mocking on his torturer. He waved his right glove, as if he tried to hypnotize his opponent. For supporters, Hamed Hope was that even if it could be able to land in a changing hit at points. But Barrera was steadfast, boxed in a classic way, and his blows thrown with the perfect form.

Still, it wasn’t Barrera all the time. The left hand had a bloody Barrera nose in the third round. Hamed landed another solid left hand in the fifth, but Barrera just pointed to him to bring him.

In the sixth we saw one of those miniature moments that can include the competition: Hamed hit the break, and Barrera broke him with a corrective left hook.

Hamed couldn’t blow him up, he couldn’t blow him up and couldn’t intimidate him. The right hand in the eighth round Hamed held the upper rope. But Hamed still had its applause. He smiled, even mocked and tapped the chin in: “I can take it!” way.

Hamed had one of his better rounds in the 10th, winning the round on all three cards of judges with a bold rally. But Barrera has returned in the last two rounds.

Judge Joe Cortez told the judges to return a point from Barrera’s result, when the Mexican warrior fell on the Hamed Head on the corner, when two men got tangled in the clinch – unnecessary coarse things in the last round of the fight, which was already won. But the deduction did not matter as a result: the judges won Barrera as a result of 115-112, 115-112 and 116-111.

“Thank God for the fact that he came out nice and unthreatening – we are both unthreatening,” said Hamed later. “I basically give him a fight – not that I give him, he won the fight, clearly in my eyes.

“I didn’t box the best as I could. I would honestly say that loans are for him. I’m not as sorrowful as I thought I would. If it is written for me from Allah, it is written. And if I find out about the reason, I can find out. And if I don’t, no.

“Marco won the fight and deserves all recognition in the world.”

Nice, name.

He was approaching at midnight when I took my elevator to the 11th MGM floor, where my room was located. Tired Steward Emanuel rode with me the elevator. “Everything I was afraid of it may have happened,” Emanuel told me. “But I don’t really want to talk now.”