Today, the boxing calendar marks two noteworthy and very noteworthy birthdays, January 17. It was, of course, 82 years ago when “The Greatest” (and he absolutely was and is in the heavyweight division) Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Tributes will no doubt pour in from all over the world today. Ali stands alone as the heavyweight king of kings.

But on this day 50 years ago in Mexico City, Mexico, Marco Antonio, another super-special fighter, was born. Barrera, who today looks much younger than his half-century, is of course notable, respected and revered as a hero due to his numerous ring epics, wild, intense and unforgettable three-fight rivalry, most notably with fellow Mexican icon Eric Morales.

Born in a wealthier part of the country than his future rival, Barrera had other options open to him outside boxing. But it is for our benefit that Barrera, also known as the “Baby-Faced Killer”, decided to pursue a boxing career. What a great ring career it was.

After an amateur career during which he compiled a record of 104-4, Barrera turned professional in November 1989, at the age of just 15. Shortly thereafter, the super flyweight began his march up the rankings and then up the weight classes. Able to box smartly and also fight in the typical “Mexican way”, with sheer aggression, vicious body punches and a willingness to inflict pain on the other fighter is the order of the day, Barrera went 16-0 before winning his first professional title. is the Mexican super fly belt that Marco won in April 1992.

Barrera held several titles before winning the NABF strap the following year. Barrera’s great nights and fights were not far away.

After a powerful stoppage win over Eddie Cook in December 1994, the now 20-year-old super bantamweight Barrera won his first world title the following March when he defeated Daniel Jimenez in Anaheim, California. Barrera, who made his U.S. debut in 1992 at The Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, soon became a favorite among American fans. It was in February 1996, on HBO’s fresh TV show “Boxing After Dim,” that Barrera gave us his first classic. Making his fifth defense of his WBO title, Barrera went to war with Kennedy McKinney. This fight is highly appreciated today, and for good reason. These two little giants took each other to hell and the action was balmy until the very end when Barrera finally scored the winning goal after stoppage time in the 12th round.

In a huge upset just three fights later, Barrera was stopped (officially by DQ, his corner entering the ring to save him from taking another “Poison”) by Junior Jones, which was a fifth-round loss as Barrera lost his 122-pound belt after recording an impressive eight stops. Barrera lost the rematch and Jones won a close decision in April 1997.

Was Barrera finished? No way, he was just driving!

Meet ‘El Terrible’ and one of the greatest trilogies the sport has ever seen and will ever see.

After several comeback victories – including one over Richie Wenton in October 1998, when Barrera won the vacant WBO 122-pound belt, thus becoming a two-time champion – Marco retained the position twice (including one over Paul Lloyd in Great Britain ). Before signing on to face bitter rival Morales. Morales, the undefeated and reigning WBC super bantamweight champion, was listed as a significant favorite, and defeats to Jones convinced many that Barrera’s best days were over.

As all fans know, the February 2000 fight was incredible, the violence, the constant leather trading and the pure heart of both sides mesmerizing. Morales won by split decision, but many felt Barrera was badly beaten. The controversy surrounding this decision and the fact that the fight was great enough to be experienced in ANY era meant that a return had to be made.

That was the case, but not before Barrera set the undefeated record of a certain “prince” Naseem Hamed. Under pressure from HBO to fight top contender Morales or Barrera, Hamed chose the latter and was soundly defeated on points over 12 rounds in April 2001. In the fight, at featherweight, Barrera refused to fight recklessly or in typical “Mexican fashion.” , which confused Hamed. Barrera, however, was jumping Hamed quite well, with only Hamed’s incredible chin keeping him upright. Barrera won the victory that he says means the most to him today. It was also a huge payday for “The Killer.”

Barrera admitted that it was hard for him to return to difficult training after being so joyful about his substantial victory. However, Barrera did not end things with Morales and the two met again in June 2002. It wasn’t as great a fight as the first war, the rematch was still far from a snooze and this time Barrera made the decision when many people felt Morales deserved it. Nevertheless, both brave rivals were already leading 1:1.

Before the match arrived, however, Barrera ran into and was run over by the relatively unknown Manny Pacquiao, after Barrera had defeated Johnny Tapia and Kevin Kelley in great style.

It was in November 2003 that “Pac-Man” burst onto the world stage in a substantial way. Dominating a shocked Barrera asking “where the hell did he come from”, Pacquiao scored a slow goal and Barrera’s future career was put in doubt. However, after a solid victory over Paulie Ayala in which Barrera regained his confidence, came the third and final fight against Morales.

Now fighting at 130 pounds, Barrera faced Morales for the third time, and the final rivalry, according to some fans, even surpassed the original. Once again, both men gave their all and the fight was decided until the very end. That night, November 27, 2004, belonged to Barrera, but only by justice, as he won by majority decision. The rivalry is over and the two once bitter enemies have become friends.

Barrera, now a 30-year-old fighter with a record of 60-4, fought for just over six years, posting powerful wins over Robbie Peden and Rocky Juarez, before being defeated by another great Mexican champion in Juan Manuel Marquez. The March 2007 fight against Marquez was probably Barrera’s last substantial fight, and seven months later he lost badly in a rather boring comeback against Pacquiao. Barrera, now well past his prime, was badly bloodied in his fight against Amir Khan in March 2009, resulting in a fifth-round TD loss to Marco. Apart from a couple of wins, one in 2010 and another in 2011, that’s it for one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time.

An extremely popular and admired fighter, Barrera has given us at least five contemporary classics, and his place in the hearts of fight fans around the world is secure.

Barrera, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, retired with a fine non-contest record of 67-7-0-1 (44). There is no doubt that Barrera belongs on any list of the top 10 Mexican fighters.

Born in Ilford on this day in 1964, Nigel Benn has come a long way. He served in the army as a teenager, and Benn saw plenty of hell in Northern Ireland during the Troubles; Benn later saying that this period in his life was one of the most terrible experiences, the future “Shadowy Destroyer” became significantly stronger. After serving more than four years in the army, Benn joined the West Ham amateur boxing club.

What would follow would be a great professional career, with lots of ups and downs and a whole lot of brutal, unforgettable fights. After a record of 41-1 and his only loss to Rod Douglas, Benn turned professional. It wasn’t long before Benn was crushing his opponents at double speed, becoming a fighter with a growing reputation.

Even before the Internet era, the athlete gained fame in magazines and on television. And so it came to pass that the name Nigel Benn became increasingly common in the trade newspaper Boxing News and in Boxing Monthly here in the UK, and the wild slugger also built his profile with appearances, most of them brief, on sports programs such as the Midweek Sports Special.

In his 17th professional fight, Benn was the Commonwealth middleweight champion. It was in October 1988 that Benn gave us his first classic. Standing face to face with the great Anthony Logan at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Benn came very close to being stopped. In the second round, Benn was dealt a torrent of over 20 punches. Seemingly heading for defeat, Benn instead risked it all, throwing a left hook at Logan. If the shot had missed, Benn would have hit the mat himself, but the bomb exploded in the jaw of the fighter above, and Benn delivered one of the most astonishing knockouts you’ve ever seen.

But was Benn “skinny”? Benn was certainly not gifted on the defensive side of the game, due to his wicked strength, sheer aggression, and willingness to show the player his best assets as a fighter. And youthful Benn was a fighter, not a boxer. Benn’s lack of stamina, as well as defensive errors and a blue chin, plagued him in May 1989. Facing the talented and experienced Michael Watson in another Commonwealth title defence, Benn fought recklessly, albeit thrillingly, until he struck a blow with the clever Watson, who pulled out his own version of the ‘drug rope’, dropping and trapping the exhausted Benn in round six. Many people thought that Benn’s “popular job” was over. No way.

After moving to the United States, Benn returned, slowly at first, to reach the top. In April 1990, Benn was the WBO middleweight champion, thanks to his action-packed victory over teak tough Doug DeWitt in Atlantic City. Benn became the first Briton to win the world middleweight title since Alan Minter.

What followed was a heated, controversial one-round victory over Iran Barkley, also in the US, with Benn famously tearing up his UK license following his victory over ‘The Blade’, with promoter Bob Arum now talking about possible fights between Benn and Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. Instead, Benn fought the relatively unknown Chris Eubank in November 1990. A truly hateful rivalry was born, and Eubank drew first blood, stopping Benn in the large fight.

For Benn, it was the rebuilding of the Mark-II.

Now fighting at super middleweight, Benn recorded solid wins over Robbie Simms (Marvin Hagler’s half-brother) and Kid Milo, and Benn also had a close, debatable points victory over Sugar Boy Malinga. Then, in October 1992, in Italy, Benn stopped Mauro Galvano in a fight for the WBC belt. In the rematch with Galvano in Glasgow, Benn’s quivering chin survived a tardy panic, and Benn won by wide decision.

Benn’s most renowned, brutal and devastating fight was yet to come.

After drawing with Eubank in their massive rematch and with Benn looking like the winner to most fans, the now 30-year-old “Shadowy Destroyer” made two additional title defenses before signing a deal to fight “Mini Mike Tyson” (Don Nicknamed King ) Gerald McClellan. All fight fans will be familiar with the February 1995 fight that ultimately resulted in a near-fatal outcome, with the upset loser McClellan suffering irreversible injuries that left his eyesight, hearing, short-term memory and ability to walk without assistance horribly compromised. Benn suffered a blackout himself, the fight was so disgustingly punishing.

However, with a stoppage victory in the tenth round, Benn forever proved his greatness, and his heroics in taking McClellan’s bombs and coming back from two knockdowns, one in the first round, earned Benn all the respect in the world. In hindsight, the McClellan fight should have been Benn’s last fight. However, he did not give up and appeared in the ring five more times. Benn had it all under his belt, but he won two of those fights before losing his last three fights to Malinga and Steve Collins, who stopped him twice.

Benn was having a hard time outside the ring during this time, even contemplating suicide at one point, but then Benn found religion and became a born-again Christian. A true fan favorite who holds a special place in the hearts and minds of British fans, Benn continues to celebrate his exploits in the ring.

Benn’s legacy continues with his son Conor Benn, but there will never be another Nigel Benn.

Nigel Benn – former WBO middleweight champion, former WBC super middleweight champion. Final record: 42-5-1(35).