LAS VEGAS, NV - Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales put on a classic the first time they fought four years ago.
They matched it again in their third fight Saturday night, only this time the result was different.
Barrera won a majority decision to take the WBC 130-pound title in a wild slugfest that was every bit the equal of the battle the two fought in 2000 that many declared the fight of the year.
After 12 rounds of almost nonstop action, Barrera held two fingers in the air to signify his second win in a row over Morales, who stared in disbelief as the decision was read.
"I did this fight to show all boxing fans that this is what boxing is all about," Barrera said.
The fight between the two Mexican warriors was their third in four years _ with Morales winning the first and Barrera the second. Like the first fight, this one was in doubt until the scorecards were read before a wildly enthusiastic crowd that filled the MGM Grand hotel arena.
Barrera was favoured 115-113 on one card and 115-114 on a second. The third judge had it 114-114.
"My body didn't respond to what I wanted it to do," Morales said. "I don't know why."
Before a loud crowd that seemed split between the two fighters, Morales and Barrera gave them all something to cheer for in a fight that began at a furious pace and rarely slackened.
It was reminiscent of their first fight in 2000 in which the two boxers traded more than 1,500 punches before Morales won a split decision. They did the same thing Saturday night, but this time it was Barrera on top, just as he was in their first rematch two years ago.
Punch stats showed Barrera landing 290 of 765 punches to 231 of 808 for Morales.
"It was the most rewarding fight of my career," Barrera said.
Morales was a 3-1 favourite in a fight that matched two boxers with no love for each other who both enjoyed big followings from their respective parts of Mexico. The animosity showed when Morales refused to touch gloves on several occasions and after the ninth round when Barrera threw a late punch and Morales had to be restrained from going after him.
When Barrera went over to Morales at the end of the fight to shake his hand, Morales threw water in Barrera's father's face.
Morales was bleeding from the nose from the early rounds on and his left eye was swelling by the eighth round from getting hit with left hooks by Barrera. But he gave as good as he got and the two stood and slugged toe-to-toe throughout the fight.
Barrera was fighting for the first time at 130 pounds, but he seemed to be the stronger fighter in the early rounds, landing some thundering left hooks to the body and head. Morales came back with straight right hands and both were willing to stand and mix it up with every punch thrown.
"I felt a little tight early, I couldn't get my jab off," Morales said. "I know I gave away a lot of early rounds."
Both fighters rocked the other with punches, but neither went down and both were fighting with the same intensity in the 12th round as they were in the first.
In the final two rounds, the two fought furiously as the crowd stood on its feet cheering them on. Early in the 12th round, Barrera seemed to slip and Morales went after him but he righted himself and did not go down.
Barrera seemed to tire in the final round, but the two were still swinging wildly as the bell sounded to end the fight.
Morales won the first fight between the two by split decision in 2000, a classic in which they traded more than 1,500 punches between them and the result was still in doubt in the final round. That fight was fought at 122 pounds, and when they met two years later they fought at 126 pounds.
Barrera came back to win the second fight on a unanimous decision, turning from brawler to boxer and frustrating Morales in the late rounds.
Barrera, though, took a beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao last November, and had to undergo special licensing from Nevada boxing officials after it was revealed he had brain surgery several years ago and had a metal plate in his head.
On the undercard, Ivan Calderon remained unbeaten and kept his 105-pound title Saturday night with a lopsided decision win over challenger Carlos Fajardo.
In other title fights, Rafael Marquez of Mexico retained his IBF 118-pound title in a rematch with Mauricio Pastrana of Colombia when the fight was stopped on cuts after eight rounds and Oscar Larios of Mexico retained his 122 pound title with a 12-round decision over Australia's Nedal Hussein.
Nina Sinclair
West Coast Correspondent
Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.
