Why Is Barrera Going After Khan?
January 16th, 2009
By Chris Williams: While Amir Khan (19-01, 15 KOs) has caught quite a bit of flake lately for choosing to take on a fighter as accomplished as Marco Antonio Barrera (64-6, 43 KOs) for a bout on March 14th, the same question in reverse could be put to Barrera. What on Earth is he thinking in fighting a lightweight as fast and talented as Khan? Forget about Khan’s history of chin problems for a moment, and consider what would happen if Khan isn’t knocked out.
That’s really Barrera’s only chance in this fight. He either knocks Khan out or takes a major beating from him. Barrera doesn’t have the speed, power or size to beat Khan by a decision and has to hope he can hurt him. What does Barrera gain in fighting him?
I doubt Barrera would have any chance at beating Campbell, but it would at least give Marco a good payday in losing. However, a good payday is exactly what Barrera will get in a fight with Khan, which is probably why Marco is willing to travel to England and fight him.
The fight will likely garner a lot of attention in the media in England, guaranteeing a sell-out crowd and creating a lot of television viewers for the bout as well. It would likely be a PPV bout, even though Khan has no title and has still yet not challenged for a title at this early stage of his career.
Barrera’s reasoning for this fight, beyond money, is probably that he’s in a win-win situation due to his advanced age. If he loses to Khan, then Barrera probably won’t be judged nearly as harshly as he would have been otherwise because he’s considered to be over-the-hill by many boxing fans.
At 34, he’s well beyond his best years and seems to have stayed several years too long in the sport. If Khan beats him, Barrera can point to his age as an excuse. Also, coming up from the super featherweight division, Barrera is considered small for the lightweight division.
If Khan beats him, what does it prove? It’s not easy to move up in weight and it usually take a little time for a fighter to get adjusted to getting hit by the bigger fighters. That will give Barrera another excuse to use should he lose to Khan.
On the plus side, if Barrera can beat Khan, then it will increase Barrera’s worth as a fighter immensely while at the same time, increase his chances at getting a bigger payday in his fights beyond. Due to his age, Barrera would get a ton of credit for beating a fighter as young and as fast as Khan. Additionally, a loss for Khan would probably effectively end his boxing career as a serious competitor.
This, in effect, would give Barrera credit of having beaten too quality British fighters – Naseem Hamed and Khan – and doing tremendous damage to their careers in the process. While technically Barrera didn’t send Hamed into retirement, since he fought one more time after their 2001 fight, but Barrera sure didn’t help him any by beating him by a one-sided 12-round decision.
Tags: 15 Responses to “Why Is Barrera Going After Khan?”
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khan khan khan khan boring average joe
Khan can and will beat Barrera all and anyone who thinks otherwise has never boxed in there life Barrera has had 70+ fight he was fighting pro when he was 15 the guy is done in fight terms all the years and the hard fight he has had always takes it toll.
If Freddy Roach has said he thinks Khan can beat Barrera quiet easy who am I or you to say you know more than this guy Roach ? and About Khan he is a bit chinny but so was Hearns and many other world champions out there but they still managed to have a great career, if any fighter out there got hit with the shots Khan did against Prescot they would be in the same place light out. Khan got knocked out because he was stupid trying to go toe to toe with a banger, his learnt his lesson and he will turn out to be a great fighter that’s what I think and only time will tell.
khan didnt know it what if it was nothing to should fight with gloves held high or without it low down? and then there is jab jab jab all the time and like them it didn’t or doesn’t matter that the fighters here the ding dong of the bell as crowd noise gets berrea fired up or then the counter punch and then there is the question of khans chin.
khan is just fast!!!! he has fought bums apart from the one who knocked him out put him up agaisnt someone decent he will get beat he is average with good speed and footwork…
look khan is great talant and if i were you get behind him and support him, instead of slaging him off, end of the day he is the one who is making millions, while you haters are grafting in mcdonalds for five pound hour, you low scums get a life.
He has all the tools to become a world champion . he has made the right move at the right time . as far it goes for his chin alot boxers go down, thats boxing for you, your only human. boxers like marvin hagler, dela hoya , even pac man have been down early on in the career. and have gone on to become world champions. khan has got a good chance as long as he trains hard and does not let all the money and fame get to him like what happened to Naz.
Khan has all the talent and power to be a world champion, easy. Hes among the elite in the lightweight and weight above when he moves up skillwise.
He just has that god awful chin that has made his promotions team limit his opponants and when they did step it up he got blown away.
I swear if it wasnt for that chin hed already be a world champ. But that chin is there and thats why hes had to tip toe through his 19 fights. such a shame
Quote from Adam: “By the way is this a coincedence that the only boxers you brits wanna brag about haven’t fought a single fight outside of the UK?”
Ummm….Calzaghe?….Hatton?
What an idiot you are…let your comments be knowledge based and not some sort of childish resentment toward a nation you bufoon..
Khan isnt dangerous you say?…read his record you tool..15 ko’s in 19 fights would tell anyone the guy can punch..regardless of who he has fought, the ko percentage tells you he can bang..now run along you silly boy
Adam you talking rubbish your just jealous of him , seems like you dnt no anything about boxing. Khan is great talant and he is defenetely going be world champion in the future , as far him fighting Barrea i think he has a good enough chance to beat him , he has got age on side and has amazing hand speed , and he is big lightweight as well . ok he got knocked out wen he fought prescott, boxers in the past have been knocked out early on in there career. then from there have gone onto to become world champions .
adam you really are a nob
Barrera feels he can take on any fighter whose name isn’t Pacquiao. Problem is, Khan has trained with Pacquiao and perhaps can handle Barrera especially with Roach in his corner.
Ya ukandsodoff that’s the problem,nobody wants to fight Froch.He’s so fierce.Come on thats BS and you know it.Pascal beat the sh*t outta him.But that’s what you get when you goto the UK.
remember 1 thing never back againts a younger faster fighter speed and youth will win this fight remember this
If people wernt avoiding Froch maybe he would of had more fights abroad. no point in him goin to america if nobody there will get in the ring with him
Berrera is past it.And if Berrera loses,so what.If Berrera accepted this fight it was because Khan is weak.If Khan exceptd this fight it was because Berrera is on the downturn in his career.My point is that Berrera can beat Khan’s as*,even at the downside of his career, no problem.Shows you what i think of Khan.I mean he got KO’d by Breidis Prescott in 1 round and you think he stands a chance with Berrera?By the way is this a coincedence that the only boxers you brits wanna brag about haven’t fought a single fight outside of the UK?(Khan and Froch)Pathetic.Try backing boxers that have talent.Not ones that fight sh*tty British boxers in Britain and claim that they are great.
This is a tune up fight for Berrera to take a step back into the spotlight.Kahn is not dangerous and has no chin.