26.01.07 – Los Angeles – WBC Super Featherweight Champion, Marco Antonio Barrera will meet WBO Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday, March 17 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Boxing fans have been waiting a long time for this battle between two of the most recognized Mexican fighters in the world. “Fearless” – Barrera vs Marquez, is a dream fight which has finally become a reality. The 12-round WBC Super Featherweight Championship, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Romanza Boxing, will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.
Tickets to Barrera vs Marquez are priced at $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50 and go on sale Thursday, Jan. 25 at noon. Tickets will be sold at any Mandalay Bay 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.
These future Hall of Famers have been involved in some of the most explosive fights in the last 10 years, ensuring that both fighters will bring out the best in each other. This fight resembles the epic duels of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
“For as long as I can remember, when you talked about the best fighters in the world, the names of Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez were always mentioned, but a fight between them never came off,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya. “I’m excited that we’ve finally been able to put these two great warriors together and present the fans with what I believe will be one of the best fights of the last 25 years.”
“This is one of the most important fights of my career and I think I am going to knock out Barrera,” said Juan Manuel Marquez. “Barrera has fought a lot, but I’m at the peak of my career and it is time for him (Barrera) to retire and for me to take the reign.”
“Juan Manuel (Marquez) thinks he is going to knock me out, I’d like to see him try,” said Barrera. “He (Marquez) is dreaming that he is going to win, but the difference will show that his dreams are not reality. Instead he should be training because I am going to shut his mouth with my punches not with words.”
“Boxing fans loved Marco Antonio Barrera’s legendary trilogy with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez’s exciting battle with Manny Pacquiao”, said HBO Pay-Per-View’s Mark Taffet. “Barrera vs. Marquez is yet another great head-to-head, toe-to-toe matchup which boxing fans will look forward to.”
One of the most storied Mexican fighters ever, WBC super featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera (63-4, 42 KOs) has defied description with a 17-year career that has seen him not only beat the best in the world and compile world championships in three weight classes while doing it, but by showing the ability to box or brawl equally, depending on the situation. This unbelievable talent has assured ‘The Baby-Faced Assassin’ a place in the Boxing Hall of Fame, but as evidenced by his recent wins over young gun Rocky Juarez in 2006, this 33-year-old Mexico City native has plenty left in his tank as he adds more chapters to his amazing story.
A stellar technician with a warrior’s instincts, Juan Manuel Marquez (46-3-1, 35 KOs) has long been a favorite among boxing purists for his counterpunching brilliance and willingness to gut it out in the trenches when necessary. A native of Mexico City who has been a pro since 1993, Marquez has held the featherweight championship of the world twice, facing the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Derrick Gainer, Manuel Medina, and Chris John along the way. Since 1999, he has compiled 17 wins with just one disputed decision loss and a controversial draw marring an otherwise perfect slate. On March 17, Marquez moves up to 130 pounds to fulfill his long-awaited boxing destiny against Barrera.
Golden Boy Promotions will announce a stellar line-up of supporting bouts for this mega event at a later date.
The Barrera vs. Marquez pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $44.95, will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 56 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your daily Barrera vs. Marquez fight week updates, log onto www.HBO.com.