BARRERA TO JOIN GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS

21.06 - Undisputed featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera, who recently declared himself a free agent, has decided to enter into a promotional agreement with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. “Following my declaration of free agency a few weeks ago,’’ Barrera said, “I have been approached and pursued by numerous promotional companies and managers. However, after careful consideration and consultation, I have decided to execute a promotional contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. I was always impressed with Oscar the fighter, but after talking to him, I realized that Oscar the promoter is just as impressive. He knows the sport, brings the perspective of a fighter to the table, is Hispanic and seems to have a very strong team behind him."

“I am excited to be part of his company and to be one the first world champion boxers to realize that it is time for the fighters to start taking a more active role relating to the promotion of their careers. What attracted me most was that his commitment to absolute transparency are not just words but they are part of the contract, which is signed in front of the state athletic commission. I wonder how many other fighters can say that their contract is signed in front of the commission?”

De La Hoya is delighted to be associated with one of the best and most-respected fighters in the world. “I am thrilled to have Marco Antonio Barrera joining Golden Boy Promotions,” he said. “He is not only a great champion and pound-for-pound one of the best in the ring but he is an idol, a role model and a true champion outside of the ring. His decision to select Golden Boy Promotions over the many other promoters who have pursued his services certainly validates my vision that Golden Boy Promotions is the future of boxing.

“Marco and I both are still active, at the height of our careers and will continue to give our many fans thrilling and action packed fights but we will also work hard to create with Golden Boy Promotions a platform from which young and upcoming or older and established fighters can pursue their careers in an environment of honesty and integrity.”

Barrera can’t wait to get back into the ring. “I am excited to hopefully soon be back in action,” he said. “My new promoter and my team will sit together and jointly develop a plan as it relates to my future fights. The featherweight and bantamweight divisions are very talent rich so there will certainly be no shortage of opponents.”

Golden Boy Promotions was formed only a year ago but is considered to be one of the leading boxing promotion firms with almost 50 events this year, of which many were or will be televised on HBO Latino, ESPN and Telefutura.