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PACQUIAO AND BARRERA BATTLE
FOR SUPREMECY OF THEIR DIVISION!
Los Angeles (July 30, 2007) -- Superstars MANNY PACQUIAO and MARCO
ANTONIO BARRERA collide in a 12-round super featherweight title fight,
Saturday, October 6. Promoted by Golden Boy and Top Rank, the Pacquiao-Barrera
title rumble will take place at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and
broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and
$100. They can be purchased at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino box
office and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Smith’s Food and Drug
Centers, Macy’s stores and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a
major credit card, call the Mandalay Bay box office at (702) 632-7580 or
Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase
at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Pacquiao-Barrera is a battle between legendary three-division world
champions. Pacquiao (44-3-2, 35 KOs), of General Santos City. The
Philippines, defeated Barrera (63-5, 42 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico, in
their exciting first encounter in 2003, claiming the 'Baby Face
Assassin’s' featherweight title. Pacquiao is considered by many,
boxing’s pound for pound most exciting fighter.
“Fighting Barrera is a career highlight for me,” said Pacquiao. “He has
already beaten great world champions like Erik Morales, Naseem Hamed and
Johnny Tapia and I know I am going to have to train harder than I ever
have before to beat him. But I am fully prepared to sacrifice and do
everything necessary to beat him. And I will. It’s going to be another
great night for fight fans.”
“Pacquiao and I have one thing in common and that is this is the fight
we have most wanted,” said Barrera. "But Pacquiao should have been more
careful for what he wished for because he is going to be in the fight of
his life. The battle is on and I am going to leave the ring as boxing’s
new No. 1 pound for pound fighter."
“This fight is what the fans have been asking for and I’m excited that
we will be able to deliver this bout between these two all-time great
champions," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions.
"For Manny Pacquiao this is an essential fight so he can demonstrate,
once and for all, that he is the king of the division," said Bob Arum,
CEO, Top Rank.
"Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera are both legendary fighters
and national heroes in their homelands, who continually seek out the
biggest challenges", said HBO Pay-Per-View's Mark Taffet. "Boxing fans
love these matchups of 'best vs best' and are in for a real treat on
October 6."
Dubbed "Republica Enemy No. 1," Pacquiao has blitzed through the best
fighters Mexico had to offer since 2003, including Morales (KO 3, TKO
10), Barrera (TKO 11), Oscar Larios (W 12), Emanuel Lucero (TKO 3),
Hector Velazquez (TKO 6) and Jorge Solis (KO 8). The only “blemish” was
a draw against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004, where Pacquiao sent Marquez
to the canvas three times in the first round.
Pacquiao, was named “2006 Fighter of the Year” by the Boxing Writers
Association of America and The Ring magazine for his two spectacular
knockout victories of Mexican icon and three-division champion Erik
Morales and his dominating 12-round unanimous decision over former world
champion and current No. 1 contender Oscar Larios. The hard-hitting
southpaw has only lost once in his last 21 bouts, a close decision in
2005 to Morales in their first encounter.
The Pacquiao-Morales trilogy produced over one million pay-per-view
sales, a record for the lower weight divisions proving that Pacquiao is
a pay-per-view star. The live attendance for their rubber match rumble
last November produced a live gate of 18,276, fifth-best on Las Vegas’
all-time list.
Known as the “Baby Faced Assassin.” Barrera has provided boxing fans
with more exciting moments than anyone of his era. In his own world
championship trilogy against Erik Morales, fought in three different
weight divisions, Barrera proved to be the better man twice. Those
fights alone garnered him numerous accolades from The Ring, including
“Fight of the Year” (2000, 2004), “Round of the Year” (5th in 2000, 11th
in 2004), and “Comeback of the Year” (2004).
Barrera has never avoided a worthy challenge and his resume is a
testament to a future Hall of Fame career. He has defeated many of the
top fighters in his divisions, including current or former world
champions Morales and Naseem Hamed, both undefeated when he faced them,
Robbie Peden, Paulie Ayala, Kevin Kelley, Johnny Tapia , Enrique
Sanchez, Jesus Salud, Jesse Benavides, Kennedy McKinney, Agapito
Sanchez, Frankie Toledo, Daniel Jimenez, and Eddie Cook. In a streak
that started in December, 2000, with the Salud fight and lasted for four
years, Marco fought nine current or former world champions in a row.
Barrera made his professional debut in 1989 and won his first world
title in 1995, dethroning WBO jr. featherweight champion Daniel
Jimenez., the beginning of three separate reigns as that champion. In
2001, he tagged the undefeated IBO featherweight champion Hamed with his
only career loss via a dominating unanimous decision. One year later, he
added Morales’ WBC featherweight title to his trophy case, avenging a
previous loss while spoiling Morales’ perfect record which had endured
nine years and 42 bouts. Barrera would win the rubber match in 2004,
while claiming Morales’ WBC super featherweight championship belt.
The Pacquiao vs. Barrera pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 pm ET/6
pm PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and
distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 61
million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for
those viewers who can receive HD. |
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