Just about now Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales are beginning to get the full impact of that magic moment they created in vying for the WBC super featherweight crown the other night in Las Vegas.

If it had been a horse race, Barrera would have prevailed by a nose in taking Morales’ title. And the margin was virtually the same in boxing when three judges ruled the new 30-year old champion arrived on a majority decision after 12 of the greatest rounds in the sports’ history.

There were 11,162 bi-partisans in the MGM Grand Garden and each was deeply wrapped in a vocal frenzy that surged beyond the final bell as two of Mexico’s greatest fist-fighters relentlessly gave as good as they got very step of the way.

Going in, even the most ardent of admirers of Barrera and Morales, a 3-1 favorite, didn’t figure these archrivals would put a cap on this five-year trilogy with a breath-taker that outstripped fiction.

Waiting for Mike Buffer to announce
the official scoring, the house was standing. Las Vegans Jerry Roth had it 115-113, Barrera, while Paul Smith’s tab was114-114 London import Larry O’Connell voted 115-114, Barrera. Smith and Roth both gave Morales the 11th round. However, when O’Connell called the round 10-10 even, it turned a draw into a Barrera triumph.

This incredible rivalry started Feb.19, 2000 when Morales, fighting at 122, won a controversial 12-round split decision to take Barrera’s WBC title in what was boxing’s Fight of the Year.

In the first rematch, it was a coin toss round after round with Barrera closing strong in the late rounds to win the WBC 126-pound belt June 22, 2002 in Las Vegas on scores of 115-113,115-113, and116-112.

Barrera is back in Mexico City for a big family celebration while Morales is back in his native Tijuana for a gala he deserves, so it may be early if the promoters start beating the hype drums for match IV.

Barrera, improving his resume to 59-4m 41 KOs, lauded the fight as the most significant of his 15-year career as a pro.

“I want to say this night has changed my life.There has been a lot of talk leading up to this fight, I do it where it counts in the ring with my fists. That’s why I’m here and I’m okay, We know Morales is dangerous, but he was in with a fighter who can bang.” an unmarked Barrera reflected.

Morales, dipping to 47-2, 34 KOs on his record, admitted he was having trouble with his punching rhythm early in the fight and had a steady nose bleed after taking a Barrera uppercut in the middle rounds.

“I’ll admit I felt very tight early and some problems with my jab. The way things went, I really didn’t think I was in the fight until the fourth or fifth round. We didn’t get the results we were looking for, but it was a very good fight,” the dethroned champion conceded.

“I don’t want to cry because I don’t want to be any thing like that. Barrera didn’t surprise me and I did what I could. I gave away too many early rounds. When you lose, you lose. My body didn’t respond the way its supposed to.

Barrera made it clear at the opening bell he was going to lay the pressure on Morales, who was fighting at 130 for the first time, one-half pound more than the challenger.

Morales gave Barrera movement early, swaying from side to side or dipping low to counter in the second round. Still, Barrera was catching his rugged adversary with a full offensive that included jabs, hooks, straight rights and jarring uppercuts.

Referee Kenny Bayless warned Barrera
that he was too free with elbows as part of his combinations.

Morales countered with double combinations and connected with two rights just before the bell.

Barrera showed versatility when he worked inside with short combinations to the head and body or elected to fire straight rights from the outside. However, late in the third round, Morales was elective with three or four shots inside and a stinging solo right. When either fighter caught the other on the ropes or in a corner that might be changing the fight’s pace, the durable recipient countered impressively.

Barrera roused his contingent late into the sixth round, bulling Morales into the ropes with a five-punch salvo.

It may have seemed like a long time coming but a resurging Morales took his loyalists to a new level by winning the seventh and eighth rounds on the three judges card.

Morales came out in the seventh punching with combinations and even pushed Barrera to the canvas but there was no penalty. The Tijuana Terror totally rose to ou-thustle the dominator and backed Barrera into the ropes with a smoking right at the bell

It was a double-loaded Morales to start round eight, going to the body. Barrera was low with a hook inside but the referee didn’t react. Hooking with Barrera in some big exchanges, the gritty champ countered well and had enough speed that kept him out of harm’s way in staying in the hunt.

Coming out in the 12th round, there was a moment when Barrera had to feel jeopardy, losing his balance after catching Morales’ wild left hook and nearly going down.

Barrera had a three-punch volley to calm the storm, took a right and then drove Morales across the ring into a neutral corner with a triple combinations at the bell.
Barrera and Morales each earned purses of $2,250,000 but only the latter collected.

When the IRS put a lien on Barrera’s earnings Nov.27, Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, put the check in a commission safe and will await instructions from the tax bureau.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Barrera’s promoter, Golden Boy, said the lien involves unpaid taxes between 1998 and 2002 when the fighter was managed by Ricardo Maldonado.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas. and also a regular contributor to Ringsports.Com and other national sports publication.)