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Barrera
and Peden Unify Titles
(JULY 17) LAS VEGAS – It’s always a special night when two world
champions put everything they’ve worked so hard for on the line in
search of a unification of their titles. Saturday, September 17 will be
such a night when WBC super featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera
looks to add another chapter to his storied career in a 12 round
showdown against IBF 130-pound champion Robbie “The Bomber” Peden.
This championship bout, which will be telecast live on HBO Pay-Per-View
from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, is part of an unforgettable
“Parade of Champions” presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association
with Goossen Tutor Promotions.
In the co-feature, another three division world champion, “Sugar” Shane
Mosley, will continue his march back to the welterweight championship
when he faces unbeaten Jose Luis Cruz in a bout scheduled for ten
rounds.
“It is refreshing to see a champion like Marco Antonio Barrera continue
to seek out new challenges even after all he has accomplished in his
career,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya. “Robbie
Peden is a relentless force and after waiting so long to get a world
championship belt around his waist, he won’t be too eager to let it slip
away. This should be a great, great fight between two warriors at the
top of their games.”
Mexico City’s Marco Antonio Barrera (60-4, 42 KOs) is like boxing’s
version of a fine wine – he’s getting even better with age. A fearsome
dynamo as a young fighter, Barrera has matured into “The Baby Faced
Assassin” with deadly precision. Fresh off two victories that showed the
full range of his talents – a gritty 12 round war with fellow Mexican
legend Erik Morales last November and a power-punching clinic against
number one contender Mzonke Fana in April – Barrera will look to do
something on September 17 that he has yet to achieve in his career –
hold two world championship belts at the same time.
“Marco Antonio Barrera has been and is still a major star in this sport,
and he is showing the reason again by fighting who we believe is the
toughest man in the 130-pound weight class, Robbie Peden,” said Dan
Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, which represents Peden. “The fans
are in for another exciting and guaranteed epic battle, and it will be a
memorable night to see “The Bomber” take the torch from Barrera on
September 17.”
31-year-old Robbie Peden (25-2, 14 KOs) is the type of boxer fans like
to see. The nickname “The Bomber” doesn’t come from dancing around in
the ring; he’s all out action and throwing bombs. A throwback performer
with a steel will and the chin to match, the pride of Brisbane,
Australia finally achieved his dream of winning a world championship on
February 23, 2005, when he stopped highly regarded contender Nate
Campbell in eight rounds. And though the win over Campbell was the
highlight so far of a nine-year pro career, Peden has no qualms about
adding a legend like Barrera to his resume on September 17.
A fighter needing no introduction to fight fans, “Sugar” Shane Mosley
(40-4, 35 KOs) returned to the welterweight division in early 2005 with
a clear-cut victory over rugged contender Davis Estrada. This win
followed an amazing string of title reigns at lightweight, welterweight,
and junior middleweight that showcased his intoxicating mix of speed,
power, and warrior spirit. A win over Cruz will put Mosley firmly in
line for a title shot at 147 pounds.
Upset-minded Jose Luis Cruz (32-0-2, 27 KOs) has never tasted defeat in
his nine-year career, and the hard-hitting native of Mazatlan, Mexico
has no intentions of starting anytime soon. Holder of numerous regional
welterweight titles, Cruz knows that his ticket to the big time is a
victory over Mosley on September 17, and he has been training like never
before for the biggest fight of his life.
