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00:00:00.
00:01:00Tonight, from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, along the fabulous strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, boxing after dark returns with a battle between two typically determined Mexican warriors.
00:01:13Super Bantamweight champion Eric Morales against former Super Bantamweight title holder Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:01:21On a perfect, clear, cool night in Las Vegas, an intensely knowledgeable boxing crowd will fill the event center at the Mandalay Bay for a fight for which Mexican fans have waited several years.
00:01:33The former 122-pound world champion Marco Antonio Barrera against the current 122-pound title.
00:01:41Happy anniversary, Boxing After Dark.
00:01:43And, yes, this telecast signifies the end of the fourth year, the beginning of the fifth year of what we think has been the landmark television series HBO's Boxing After Dark.
00:01:57Once again, a fight for which we've waited, as have Mexican boxing fans a long time.
00:02:02Morales, the younger 122-pound world champion against his Mexican predecessor Barrera.
00:02:08Barrera from Mexico City.
00:02:09Morales from Tijuana.
00:02:11There's a class distinction between the two fighters.
00:02:13A geographic rivalry.
00:02:15There's a difference in fighting styles.
00:02:17And there are many other elements of parallel and opposite between them which make this an intense confrontation.
00:02:24Typical of the kinds of evenly matched battles we've become accustomed to seeing on Boxing After Dark over the years.
00:02:32So, in honor of this fourth anniversary, let's look back now at some of the thrilling moments which have made Boxing After Dark, because of its competitive nature,
00:02:40a series which has changed the landscape of the sweet science of boxing.
00:02:48That's the best fight I have ever seen.
00:02:54This is just a roar, Roy.
00:02:59What an unbelievable fight.
00:03:06Oh! Oh, what drama!
00:03:10All right!
00:03:2044 seconds to go!
00:03:23This would be the miracle of all miracles, if he's able to pull it off.
00:03:28Robinson trying to hold.
00:03:30Pirati looking for one big clincher.
00:03:34Here comes Verra.
00:03:36Barrera is known as a great finisher.
00:03:43It's just combinations by Barrera.
00:03:49Zou is still wobbling as Phillips goes after it.
00:03:53Ben Phillips on the verge of a big upset here.
00:03:57Zou is out on his feet.
00:03:59That's it.
00:04:03Cavalish is hurt.
00:04:06He's been attacking a performance by Shane Mosley.
00:04:16Oh, there he goes on to him.
00:04:20Zou takes hands caught for a moment.
00:04:22He gets the hands back up.
00:04:24Zou tries to finish.
00:04:32Down goes Rodriguez.
00:04:34What a left hook.
00:04:36Oh, he won't make it up from that.
00:04:40No way.
00:04:41Oh, Chiro got it.
00:04:43Oh, a foul shot.
00:04:45Comeback win.
00:04:47I think boxing after dark has a future.
00:04:50Four years of HBO's boxing after dark.
00:05:17In general, the idea was lower budgets, mostly lower weight classes, higher risk, and higher
00:05:23reward for the fighters in matchups that were often dead-even pick'em fights going in.
00:05:28And let's see if tonight's bout can produce more of the kind of excitement we've seen over
00:05:32that period of time.
00:05:33With HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant.
00:05:35Larry, in the past four years, there have been quite a number of big, heavily promoted mega-fights,
00:05:41which have not lived up to their billing in terms of competitive drama, from Johnny Tappi against Danny Romero to, of course, Oscar De La Hoya versus Felix Trinidad in this very arena.
00:05:50Will tonight's fight, anticipated as it is by Mexican fans, live up to the standards that we've seen on boxing after dark?
00:05:58If not now, with two high-testosterone warriors, when is this finally the night in the fight when our high expectations are met or even surpassed?
00:06:12The genesis of this rivalry was about three or four years ago, when Barrera was anointed as the heir apparent to Julio Cesar Chavez in the hearts and minds of his boxing man countrymen.
00:06:26But then Morales replaced Barrera.
00:06:29And they've been duking it out toward this showdown ever since.
00:06:34In fact, it almost happened prematurely when the two fighters appeared in a soccer match with their followers six months ago and got into it so heavily that they had to be separated.
00:06:49Jim, only the referee can separate them tonight, and I don't think he's got too much work to do.
00:06:54No, but the crowd factions are chanting against each other in the background, and maybe some of them are going to have to be separated.
00:06:59Meanwhile, two notes, our regular expert commentator Roy Jones is not here tonight because of a family function, and there's one fight and one fight only on this card, so get ready for the main event.
00:07:10Tale of the tape between Eric Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:07:13You can see that Morales is the younger of the two.
00:07:15Barrera, at age 26, is in his 11th year as a professional fighter.
00:07:20Morales has been straining to make 122 pounds.
00:07:23He made it safely at 121 yesterday, looking a little starched to some of us.
00:07:27Tonight comes in at 130, and Barrera at 132.
00:07:32Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
00:07:36The Eric Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera fight is scheduled for 12 rounds using the unified rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
00:07:44There is no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule.
00:07:48Only the referee can stop the fight, and he cannot be saved by the belt in any round, including the 12th and final round.
00:07:53And, Jim, huge controversy over the boxing gloves.
00:07:56Morales wanted to use a Japanese brand called winning.
00:07:59Barrera wanted a Mexican brand, Reyes.
00:08:01They flipped the coin.
00:08:02Barrera won.
00:08:03They're using eight-ounce Reyes.
00:08:05And if you're a fight fan, you know that means the puncher's glove.
00:08:09Now, here's the man who dominated this weight class from 1995 into 1997, before he ran in to an American fighter named Junior Jones.
00:08:20Now he finds himself an underdog.
00:08:23Yesterday, the odds shot up to five or six to one in favor of Morales because of all the fans coming from Tijuana.
00:08:32Today, it went down to about three, three and a half to one because of all of Barrera's fans from Los Angeles.
00:08:40Even though he is a real Mexican fighter, both in style and substance, he hasn't fought in Mexico for over six years, Jim,
00:08:50because he found he could make more money in Los Angeles and Nevada.
00:08:55Six straight wins since the second of his two losses to Junior Jones.
00:08:59It would have been seven, but a fight in December was ruled a no contest when it was discovered
00:09:04that his opponent's record had been falsified and that he was, in fact, a former sparring partner of Barrera's.
00:09:11Now, here's a closer look at Mexico City's cultured, upper-middle-class fighter, Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:09:18Who turned pro at 15 and was 43-0 before Junior Jones' fights.
00:09:27And Morales claims those losses broke his spirit, to which he replies, chicken Tijuana,
00:09:35because Morales from Tijuana, which has never, ever produced a major fighter before.
00:09:42And you can imagine, of course, what the Tijuana fans have to say about people from Mexico City, like Barrera.
00:09:48Barrera, incidentally, was one of the principals in the main event of the very first Boxing After Dark Telecast,
00:09:56Feb 3, 1996, against Kennedy McKinney in a fight which, if you saw, you'll remember to this day,
00:10:02a thrilling 11-round seesaw battle in which Barrera knocked McKinney down five times and got the TKO win.
00:10:10Now, here comes Morales, who has come on in the last couple of years to become the dominant 122-pound fighter in the world
00:10:20and perhaps the most celebrated and beloved of all Mexican fighters right now,
00:10:25though fans of Barrera and Ricardo Lopez might beg to differ.
00:10:35An entirely different kind of background.
00:10:38Morales loves to say, although it's sort of apocryphally true,
00:10:44he loves to say that he grew up in a boxing gym in Tijuana.
00:10:48Here's a closer look at Eric Terrible Morales.
00:10:51Now, he turned pro with his father as a former professional at the old age of 16.
00:11:01And this, he promises, will be his last fight at this weight.
00:11:04He's going up to featherweight at 126.
00:11:08And although he has a very, very professional attitude about virtually everything,
00:11:13he says this fight is personal.
00:11:16And many believe what's at stake for the winner tonight, whoever it is,
00:11:19is a matchup against Prince Nassim Ahmed, one rung up the ladder at 126 pounds,
00:11:25which would be the richest featherweight fight of all time.
00:11:28While you're watching Morales and Barrera, you can also log on to www.hbo.com slash boxing
00:11:34to chat and score each round of tonight's action.
00:11:37While online, join in our celebration of Boxing After Dark for your anniversary.
00:11:41We'll give you online 10 video clips of our favorite Boxing After Dark matchups.
00:11:46You choose which one you believe was your favorite moment of them all.
00:11:50The number one through three selections will be announced later on in this telecast.
00:11:55So tune in to www.hbo.com slash boxing online while you watch the fight with us tonight.
00:12:03Now let's go to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official introduction.
00:12:06And now, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino of Las Vegas, Nevada,
00:12:16where tonight Bob Arum's Top Rank Incorporated in association with Corona Extra,
00:12:22La Cerveza Mas Fina presents HBO Boxing After Dark,
00:12:27the Battle of Champions, 12 rounds of boxing in the 122-pound division
00:12:34for the championship of the world.
00:12:38Sanctioned by the WBC and WBO,
00:12:41with the approval and sanctioning of the Nevada State Athletic Commission,
00:12:45Dr. Elias Ghanom, chairman.
00:12:47Commissioners at ringside, Dr. Luther Mack,
00:12:51Amy A. Yu, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Glenn Carano.
00:12:55Executive Director, Mark Ratner.
00:12:57Physicians in attendance are Dr. Flip Homansky,
00:13:00Dr. James Wishgame, Dr. Al Capana,
00:13:03and Dr. Jeff Davidson.
00:13:05The timekeepers at the bell and counting to the knockdown seconds,
00:13:09Al Bicek and Mike Licella.
00:13:12WBC President, Jose Suleiman.
00:13:14Supervisor for the WBC, Rex Walker.
00:13:17WBO President and Supervisor, Francisco Paco Parcarcel.
00:13:22The three judges at ringside who will be scoring this bout on the 10-point must system are
00:13:28Carol Castellano, Dwayne Ford, and Dolby Shirley.
00:13:33And when the bell rings, your referee in charge of the action, Mitch Halpern.
00:13:38This bout is dedicated to the memory of Chuck Hall.
00:13:42And now, are we ready?
00:13:46Y ahora están listos.
00:13:51Ladies and gentlemen, from the Mandalay Bay of Las Vegas,
00:13:55for the thousands in attendance,
00:13:57and the millions watching around the world.
00:14:01Let's get ready to rumble!
00:14:11Introducing first,
00:14:13fighting out of the red corner,
00:14:14wearing white, trimmed with black,
00:14:16and weighing in at 121 pounds.
00:14:19His professional record,
00:14:21a perfect one.
00:14:2235 contests,
00:14:2435 victories,
00:14:26including 28 knockouts.
00:14:28And he is consistently ranked,
00:14:30pound for pound,
00:14:31among the best in the world.
00:14:33Tomas y Caballeros,
00:14:35de la zona norte,
00:14:37Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
00:14:40The reigning,
00:14:42and defending,
00:14:43undefeated,
00:14:44WBC,
00:14:45Super Furrowweight Champion of the World,
00:14:49Eric El Terrible Morales.
00:15:01And his opponent across the ring,
00:15:03fighting out of the blue corner,
00:15:05wearing silver,
00:15:06trimmed with blue.
00:15:07He weighs in at 121 and one half pounds.
00:15:10And he has an outstanding professional record,
00:15:14consisting of 49 victories,
00:15:16including 36 by knockout,
00:15:18with only two losses.
00:15:21Tomas y Caballeros,
00:15:22de Ciudad de Mexico,
00:15:24Distrito Ferraro, Mexico,
00:15:27the two-time world champion,
00:15:30the reigning,
00:15:31and defending,
00:15:31WBO,
00:15:32junior,
00:15:34brotherweight champion of the world,
00:15:36Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:15:41All right, gentlemen,
00:15:49this will be clean.
00:15:50Protect yourself at all times,
00:15:51with Baymine commands at all times.
00:15:52Plessed gloves,
00:15:53good luck.
00:15:53Let's go.
00:15:53Jim,
00:15:54the only reason this hasn't been called a life-and-death fight by the fighters or their rabid supporters
00:16:04is that it is more important than that.
00:16:07Is it, in fact, life-and-death for Marco Antonio Barrera,
00:16:12whose career may be derailed if he can't win tonight?
00:16:15Well, he admits that he was devastated by the two losses to Jones,
00:16:21didn't fight for 10 months,
00:16:23and has slowly restored his spirit.
00:16:28It would be devastating,
00:16:30but it depends, again,
00:16:31on what kind of a fight it is.
00:16:34So how much does Barrera have left?
00:16:37Is there anything left for Morales to learn?
00:16:40Will it be Morales' blistering overhand right,
00:16:43or will it be Barrera's left hook to the body?
00:16:46The early, early...
00:16:47Barrera is going on the attack very early.
00:16:51He says his defense has improved.
00:16:53He's a little bit more head movement,
00:16:55but he is putting himself in the range of Morales' excellent right hand.
00:17:01And a solid left hook lands early for Barrera,
00:17:03and he knocks Morales back with a right hand.
00:17:06Early assault from the Mexico City Storm.
00:17:09And now Morales,
00:17:11understanding that Barrera has come to be aggressive,
00:17:13begins to look for opportunities to retaliate,
00:17:15and lands the right uppercut.
00:17:18Left hook to the body by Barrera.
00:17:20Look it up!
00:17:23A vicious start to what should be a high-contact fighter.
00:17:28Well, one minute into this,
00:17:29it's already living up to the expectations.
00:17:34Incidentally, don't be confused by the word Tapia
00:17:37on the back of the silver trunks of Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:17:40No relation to Donnie Tapia,
00:17:42the great fighter from a lower weight class.
00:17:45Barrera's mother's maiden name is Tapia.
00:17:49Barrera is forcing the action,
00:17:51making Morales' fight going backward at this point.
00:17:55And he rips Morales with a left hook upstairs.
00:17:58And Morales lands the jab
00:18:00and just misses with a right hand behind.
00:18:02Back comes Barrera to the body.
00:18:04Already a welt under the left eye of Barrera.
00:18:11Oh, it's the right eye, Larry.
00:18:12Sorry, the right eye.
00:18:13Yep.
00:18:14And there's a right hand by Morales,
00:18:15and Barrera pins Morales against the rope.
00:18:17Watch your heads.
00:18:27Left hook upstairs and to the body by Morales.
00:18:30One-two combination by Barrera.
00:18:32Hard right hand by Morales
00:18:34as they trade in the middle of the ring.
00:18:36Double jab by Morales and a left hook.
00:18:40So Morales has withstood the early assault
00:18:43and has matched Barrera punch for punch.
00:18:45No blow by Morales and Barrera grimaces in pain,
00:18:57but keeps fighting.
00:19:01Both fighters, incidentally,
00:19:03impressed their fans and followers and media types
00:19:06by speaking English at the news conference
00:19:09to promote the fight on Thursday.
00:19:11Hold on, hold on, hold on.
00:19:12An expression of their ambition
00:19:14to be known more than just Mexican fighters,
00:19:18which they are,
00:19:20and certainly this fight
00:19:21can put them on a larger match.
00:19:29Both fighters have their moments
00:19:32in a savage round number one.
00:19:35And as we go to the corners
00:19:36where Spanish has spoken,
00:19:39Ray Torres will be our interpreter.
00:19:46Okay, you need to work with him,
00:19:48but at the distance.
00:19:50Don't get in this distance.
00:19:51Don't get too close to him.
00:19:52We don't need that.
00:19:53You already cut him.
00:19:54He's cut.
00:19:58You've got to keep pressuring him.
00:19:59Close your eyes, let's put some vessel in.
00:20:08It's nothing.
00:20:10Your comfort is nothing.
00:20:12You need to go in,
00:20:13bob and weave, and get in.
00:20:15You're going too low.
00:20:19Let's use more intelligence.
00:20:21Has there ever been a calmer-looking fighter
00:20:28in a heated battle like this
00:20:29than Marco Antonio Morales?
00:20:30His face never changes expression.
00:20:33We heard in the corner
00:20:35the trainer of Eric Morales,
00:20:37who is his father, Jose,
00:20:39a former fighter,
00:20:40urge him not to get into
00:20:42those kinds of exchanges continually,
00:20:45but to use his boxing ability
00:20:47and his jab.
00:20:48The feeling is that Morales
00:20:50was too willing to trade
00:20:52with his previous opponent,
00:20:53Wayne McCullough,
00:20:53but of course,
00:20:54McCullough didn't have
00:20:55the punching power to hurt him.
00:20:57Barrera may be a different story,
00:20:59and with his range,
00:21:00it's expected that Morales
00:21:01could outbox Barrera
00:21:03from the outside.
00:21:04Longer jab, longer right hand,
00:21:07but he loves to go inside and fight,
00:21:09and Barrera wants him to do that.
00:21:11In my mind, Jim,
00:21:13Barrera's fight depends
00:21:15on how much he's willing to take.
00:21:17If he can take the kind of stuff
00:21:19that Wayne McCullough did,
00:21:20he's got a real chance
00:21:22because he's a far superior
00:21:23offensive fighter.
00:21:27McCullough took Morales' best shots
00:21:30for 12 rounds.
00:21:31And thereby stopped Morales'
00:21:33nine knockouts.
00:21:34Hard right hand by Morales.
00:21:45Barrera getting hit
00:21:45as he backs straight up.
00:21:51One-two combination by Barrera.
00:21:55And he punched the left hook
00:21:57to the body right through the guard,
00:21:58a bear of Morales.
00:21:59Morales trying to bust up
00:22:07Barrera with power,
00:22:09landed the right hand
00:22:10behind Barrera's left glove.
00:22:13Barrera comes back,
00:22:14doubling up with the left hook
00:22:16to the body,
00:22:16his best punch.
00:22:17And a right hand shot
00:22:18to the body as well,
00:22:19and a vicious right cross.
00:22:21What a fight!
00:22:27Trying to play the clock and spiel
00:22:29on Morales' ribs
00:22:31and being very successful
00:22:34in that exchange.
00:22:35But back comes Morales.
00:22:37In round one,
00:22:45Barrera landed
00:22:4636 of 70 punches
00:22:47to 27 of 74
00:22:49for Morales.
00:22:50Hard left hand by Barrera.
00:22:53And now Morales goes downstairs
00:22:55looking to take some of the steam
00:22:57out of Barrera's punches
00:22:58with his own body attack.
00:23:00One thing I notice
00:23:01is that Barrera has improved
00:23:03his defense, Jim.
00:23:04His hands are held higher.
00:23:05He's not quite as insolent
00:23:07as he was
00:23:08when he fought Junior Jones
00:23:10and left himself open,
00:23:12got careless.
00:23:19He clearly had never dreamed
00:23:21that Jones could hurt him
00:23:22the way he did
00:23:23with his right hand.
00:23:24He felt invincible.
00:23:26Found out he wasn't.
00:23:28Right cross by Barrera,
00:23:29landed right on Morales' chin,
00:23:32and Morales just shook it
00:23:33and came on through it.
00:23:35Two rounds of scintillating action
00:23:39so far.
00:23:44Don't let him take the initiative.
00:23:46You cannot stay in front of him.
00:23:48You need to box him at a distance.
00:23:49Please, you need to do that.
00:23:51Don't get so close.
00:23:52Let's get some air.
00:23:53You're waiting too long.
00:24:04He's hitting you.
00:24:05You'll be first.
00:24:07You'll hit first.
00:24:08Make sure that you hit him
00:24:09in the bottom and the low
00:24:10because that's where you hurt him.
00:24:12Don't wait.
00:24:13Don't wait.
00:24:23Herrera coming forward,
00:24:25sending Morales back on his heels,
00:24:28accomplishing his mission.
00:24:31Morales' corner urging him,
00:24:34urging him to use his boxing skills.
00:24:36But as he said, Jim,
00:24:38it's personal,
00:24:40and he has allowed
00:24:40the emotions of this event
00:24:42to dictate what he is doing.
00:24:46And the result through round two,
00:24:49the two punchers have landed
00:24:50120 shots,
00:24:52and only 21 of those were jabs.
00:24:54So it's a power-punching
00:24:56extravaganza so far
00:24:57as Morales goes to his knees,
00:24:59lunging forward to reach
00:25:00Barrera,
00:25:01who had vacated to the side.
00:25:03Yeah, he might have tripped
00:25:04over his foot there.
00:25:10Larry pointing out,
00:25:11you heard Morales' father
00:25:12between rounds
00:25:13leading with his son
00:25:15to stay back and box.
00:25:18Doing a little bit more
00:25:19of that right now.
00:25:28So while the physical action
00:25:30in the ring has been
00:25:31more or less even,
00:25:32give the psychological victory
00:25:34in the first two rounds
00:25:35to Barrera,
00:25:36who made it his kind of fight
00:25:37and tempted Morales
00:25:39away from Morales' game plan.
00:25:42I thought it was,
00:25:43it's more than even.
00:25:44Barrera is winning this fight.
00:25:46It's early.
00:25:47Morales looking to land the uppercut,
00:26:01a punch that Barrera seldom throws.
00:26:10Left hook to the body again
00:26:12by Barrera.
00:26:12He's a much better body puncher
00:26:18than Morales is.
00:26:21And if he can stay in there long enough,
00:26:24it will tell.
00:26:25He also has the wider,
00:26:26more stable body
00:26:27and may have a chance
00:26:29to weather ribcage action
00:26:30a little bit better than Morales.
00:26:32You take a look at Morales,
00:26:33tall, rangey,
00:26:35and with his ribs showing,
00:26:36and your automatic instinct is,
00:26:38I want to go to the body
00:26:38against this guy.
00:26:41Barrera may be just the man
00:26:42to do it.
00:26:49One of Morales' great strengths
00:26:51that he can throw a variety
00:26:52of punches
00:26:52from an assortment of angles.
00:26:55And now Barrera backs him up
00:26:56against the ropes
00:26:57and strafes him
00:26:58with the right hand again.
00:27:02Once again,
00:27:03he has Morales
00:27:04fighting his fight.
00:27:09Uppercut by Barrera.
00:27:11Morales comes back
00:27:12with an uppercut
00:27:13in the right hand
00:27:13and a left and a right
00:27:15and lands them all.
00:27:17Here comes Barrera.
00:27:19Here comes Morales.
00:27:20The best round for Morales
00:27:36so far.
00:27:45You worked a lot better.
00:27:47This was a good round.
00:27:48That was almost perfect.
00:27:49You're the master there.
00:27:53You're the master,
00:27:53but you let the pupil
00:27:54take over.
00:28:01Okay, you need to throw that jab.
00:28:03I feel a little more quicker
00:28:05because you let the initiative
00:28:06go away.
00:28:07In the moment,
00:28:08you let them get away with it.
00:28:09You make a miss,
00:28:10but you got to capitalize on it.
00:28:12Throw punches.
00:28:14Make sure there are hooks.
00:28:15I want you to get your distance.
00:28:21You're the master there.
00:28:22You're the teacher.
00:28:23Take the back this out.
00:28:26Go!
00:28:28The master,
00:28:29they're calling Morales
00:28:30in his corner,
00:28:32giving a lesson
00:28:33to the pupil.
00:28:34The pupil's doing pretty well
00:28:36so far.
00:28:37In round three,
00:28:39Barrera slowed his tempo
00:28:40just a little bit,
00:28:41throwing only 45 punches
00:28:42as opposed to more than 70
00:28:44in each of the first two rounds,
00:28:45but he landed 26,
00:28:4758%,
00:28:48so Barrera's landing
00:28:49more than half his punches.
00:28:50Morales, however,
00:28:51threw 76 punches
00:28:53in the third round,
00:28:54a much higher output
00:28:55than Barrera.
00:28:55Let's see how
00:28:56Harold Letterman
00:28:57has it through three.
00:28:58Okay, Jim,
00:29:00two rounds to one,
00:29:0129-28,
00:29:02Marco Antonio Barrera
00:29:04because of those body shots.
00:29:06I think he's ripping the body
00:29:08with those left hooks.
00:29:09Certainly won the first two rounds
00:29:10with the left hooks.
00:29:11Eric Morales comes back
00:29:12to win the third
00:29:12because he outworked them.
00:29:13Watch Barrera's
00:29:14half uppercut,
00:29:15half hook.
00:29:15It's beautiful.
00:29:16It's not a hook.
00:29:17It's not an uppercut.
00:29:18It's somewhere in between.
00:29:19I have the same score.
00:29:22Step back in.
00:29:23Step back in.
00:29:24Scheduled for 12.
00:29:25And as the pace slows,
00:29:29maybe it becomes
00:29:30a tactical boxing match
00:29:31instead of the all-out war
00:29:33we looked as though
00:29:34we were going to expect
00:29:36from the first two rounds.
00:29:39It's to Morales' credit
00:29:41as a fighter
00:29:42that he could modify
00:29:46what he was doing
00:29:47in the first two rounds.
00:29:48He has the capacity
00:29:49to do what he's doing
00:29:51right here
00:29:51rather than going toe-to-toe.
00:29:54Barrera must get in
00:29:55close.
00:29:57The versatility
00:29:58of Morales
00:29:59is to his favor.
00:30:02Now Morales backs
00:30:03into a corner
00:30:03as Barrera
00:30:04fires away with both hands.
00:30:07And they'll trade again.
00:30:10And you see the discipline,
00:30:12the dedication
00:30:12with which Barrera
00:30:13goes to the body,
00:30:14goes to the body
00:30:15over and over
00:30:16trying to wear
00:30:17for Morales down.
00:30:18Slow his speed
00:30:20and eliminate
00:30:21his boxing advantages.
00:30:223,000 tickets reportedly sold in Morales' hometown of Tijuana.
00:30:42Herrera has a fan following from Los Angeles
00:30:45as a result of his years
00:30:46of fighting under the banner of the Great Western Forum.
00:30:52Left to the body and a hook, more or less.
00:30:59Herrera is investing in this,
00:31:02in the early third of this fight for the last third.
00:31:06If he can get there.
00:31:13Four punch combination by Morales.
00:31:17And again in round four,
00:31:19Herrera throwing many fewer punches
00:31:22than had been the case in the first couple of rounds.
00:31:24So he begins to pick his spots
00:31:26while still focusing on Morales' body to do his damage.
00:31:34And right now, let's take a look
00:31:36through four rounds at some of the body action
00:31:40that's been provided on both sides of the competitive equation.
00:31:43Barrera is a fighter similar, similar to Chavez.
00:31:52We expect to see Mexican brawler boxers
00:31:56throwing these kinds of body punches
00:31:58to break down their opponents.
00:32:01So as you can see,
00:32:02most of the damage to the body
00:32:04done in that tape package by Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:32:08Punched at numbers through round four,
00:32:10Morales throwing many more now.
00:32:12Barrera's still landing at the higher rate.
00:32:14So you gotta go low to make a miss.
00:32:19You gotta...
00:32:21All right, let's go.
00:32:26Let's go!
00:32:30The red welt at the edge of Barrera's right eye
00:32:33that you saw early in the fight
00:32:35has not redounded to any disadvantage.
00:32:39At this point, it's calmed down.
00:32:41Morales showed some swelling around the right eye
00:32:43during the last round.
00:32:45Neither man has been cut.
00:32:46Neither man has bled.
00:32:52No knockdowns as we go into the pit.
00:32:55Lots of toe-to-toe action.
00:32:57Barrera is plainly very conscious
00:33:06of the right hand of Morales.
00:33:09He has done a very good job
00:33:11of keeping himself from being hit
00:33:13too many clean right hands.
00:33:15Right there, you saw him back off
00:33:17just a little bit
00:33:18and Morales' shot fell short.
00:33:20He has done a very good job.
00:33:21He has done a very good job.
00:33:26Barrera was adamant before the fight
00:33:28and saying,
00:33:29Morales can't hurt me with his left hand.
00:33:32All I have to worry about
00:33:33is that overhand right.
00:33:35Morales, I believe,
00:33:36has blood coming from one of his nostrils.
00:33:48Morales has been known to start slowly
00:33:50and then build tempo
00:33:51as the fight progresses.
00:33:53Can he do it against the body attack of Barrera?
00:33:56Now Morales begins to land the right hand
00:33:59with greater regularity.
00:34:01And suddenly the drama changes again.
00:34:07Morales landing five or six big right hands
00:34:10in this sustained rally.
00:34:11And another.
00:34:13Barrera appears to be weary
00:34:15trying to weather this storm.
00:34:18And suddenly at center ring,
00:34:21Morales takes over the fight
00:34:23with his right hand.
00:34:29And a right hand from Barrera.
00:34:32And now Morales is badly hurt.
00:34:34Morales trying to stay up.
00:34:37A minute to go in round five.
00:34:39Blood pouring out of the right nostril of Morales.
00:34:41Eric Morales and his entire professional
00:34:47amateur career has never tasted the canvas.
00:34:50He was close to it 15 seconds ago.
00:34:52And he's a very, very tired champion at the moment.
00:34:56But he's still fighting Barrera off
00:34:59as Barrera tries to husband his strength
00:35:01for another assault.
00:35:04Hey, where's that top ten list
00:35:05on Boxing After Dark?
00:35:06We may have a new entry here.
00:35:09Go!
00:35:11This is some kind of action in round five.
00:35:27A round reminiscent of round ten
00:35:30of Holyfield, bow one.
00:35:32The first half of the round
00:35:33belonged to Morales.
00:35:35The last minute of the round
00:35:36belonged to Barrera.
00:35:44I gave that round to Barrera
00:35:46because I thought he inflicted more damage.
00:35:48And the entire crowd is on its feet
00:35:51in appreciation for what they saw in round five.
00:35:54Morales, here you can see him with this barrage
00:36:17driving Barrera back.
00:36:20Barrera saying to himself,
00:36:23let me stay in here.
00:36:25My time will come.
00:36:26And here it comes.
00:36:32Right there, Morales almost looked
00:36:35like he was ready to go to the canvas.
00:36:39Round six of a scheduled 12
00:36:41in what has been a memorable war so far.
00:36:46Close fight.
00:36:47Tough fight to score.
00:36:48They stop the bleeding for the moment
00:36:55out of the nostrils of Eric Morales.
00:36:59Barrera still largely unmarked
00:37:00despite all the punishment he's taken.
00:37:03The fans from Tijuana chanting,
00:37:05Terrible, Terrible.
00:37:08That is Eric Morales' nickname,
00:37:12Eric Terrible Morales.
00:37:14As you can see on the front of his shorts.
00:37:16Good right hand by Barrera.
00:37:19And a left hand by Barrera
00:37:21as Morales trades along the ropes.
00:37:29Both fighters seeming to try to get their breath
00:37:32a little bit after the blistering action
00:37:34in round five.
00:37:35Barrera goes back to the left hook
00:37:37and continues, as Larry pointed out,
00:37:39to try to invest in body punishment
00:37:41and slow Morales down for the later rounds.
00:37:44Now Morales is the hunter.
00:37:58Now Morales is the hunter.
00:38:01Barrera the hunted.
00:38:02Back comes Barrera.
00:38:04Two left hooks to the body by Barrera.
00:38:08Two right hands upstairs by Morales.
00:38:12Story of the fight.
00:38:14Morales has been the head hunter.
00:38:16Barrera the body puncher.
00:38:24Left hook misses for Morales.
00:38:27Barrera goes back to the body
00:38:28with a hard right-hand shot.
00:38:33Morales seeming to try to load up one shot
00:38:35instead of boxing.
00:38:38He might be too tired to use the jab
00:38:40and box right now.
00:38:41But you had to expect that round six
00:38:55would show some of the damage
00:38:56from round five.
00:38:58And both fighters have fought round six
00:39:00at the slowest pace of the fight so far.
00:39:04Big uppercut by Morales.
00:39:08But no follow-up.
00:39:11Now Morales gets back up
00:39:13on his toes a little bit
00:39:14and tries to rally and steal the round.
00:39:22Barrera hasn't done much in this round
00:39:23so there's an opportunity here
00:39:25for the champion
00:39:25if he can produce one more big flurry.
00:39:36But it doesn't come.
00:39:38And we're halfway through the bout.
00:39:39And now let's look ahead
00:39:42to some upcoming programs
00:39:43here on HBO Sports.
00:39:44For boxing, mark these dates on your calendar.
00:39:49Next Saturday night
00:39:50when Oscar De Laue takes on Darryl Coley
00:39:52live from Madison Square Garden.
00:39:54March 11 when Prince Nassim Hamed
00:39:56defends his featherweight title
00:39:57against Kiyani Bungu.
00:39:58And March 18 when Super-Setherweight champ
00:40:00Floyd Mayweather meets Goyo Vargas.
00:40:02HBO, the heart and soul of boxing.
00:40:05Some of the stories featured this month
00:40:06on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
00:40:08The case of nine woman golfers
00:40:10who have filed a lawsuit
00:40:11against their country club
00:40:12on grounds of gender discrimination.
00:40:14Plus, an inside look
00:40:15at Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.
00:40:17And then on April 17,
00:40:19Sports of the 20th Century presents
00:40:21Bill Russell, My Life, My Way.
00:40:23A documentary that explores
00:40:24the life, philosophies, and principles
00:40:26of one of the most compelling figures
00:40:28ever to play the game of basketball.
00:40:30Larry, you must have known
00:40:33Bill Russell pretty well
00:40:34from your days as sports editor
00:40:35of the Philadelphia Daily News.
00:40:37Yes, I did.
00:40:38One of the great men of sport.
00:40:41The statistic,
00:40:43the only meaningful statistic
00:40:45in his life,
00:40:4616 years of big-time basketball,
00:40:49college and pro,
00:40:5013 championships.
00:40:53The idea that Will Chamberlain
00:40:55with his individual statistics
00:40:56is better than him is absurd.
00:40:58I agree.
00:41:00Harold Lederman,
00:41:00how'd he have a three-six?
00:41:01Jim, I can't make up my mind
00:41:03whether I like the busy guy
00:41:04or the heavy hitter.
00:41:05Three to three, 57-57.
00:41:08I got it all even.
00:41:09I thought Eric Morales
00:41:10did enough work
00:41:11and Marco Antonio Guerrero
00:41:12didn't do enough
00:41:13in round six
00:41:14to even his fight up.
00:41:15But certainly,
00:41:16it's been going back and forth
00:41:17since the third round.
00:41:18Eric Morales certainly working more.
00:41:20Marco Antonio Guerrero
00:41:21is still landing the hardest shots
00:41:23with that left hook.
00:41:25I have the same score, Harold.
00:41:26I wouldn't be surprised
00:41:27if all three judges
00:41:28have it even,
00:41:29but with a vast disparity
00:41:31in which rounds
00:41:32were given to which fighters
00:41:33because it's a tough fight
00:41:34to score.
00:41:42Guerrero with another combination
00:41:43pounds Morales back over the ropes.
00:41:45let's go, let's go.
00:41:53Morales for the moment
00:41:54doesn't seem to have
00:41:55the kind of snap in his punches
00:41:57that we're accustomed to seeing
00:41:58from the Tijuana Star.
00:42:00I agree, Jim.
00:42:01So far, it looks like
00:42:03a rubber band
00:42:04that has lost
00:42:05a little of that snap.
00:42:07The second half of the fight
00:42:09is going to be like the fifth set of tennis.
00:42:13It's not about fighting or boxing, I should say.
00:42:18It's about conditioning, willpower,
00:42:21who's willing to put up with the most,
00:42:23and who can finish the strongest.
00:42:25So if it were to be a war of attrition
00:42:28between Morales' overhand right, power punching,
00:42:31and Barrera's left hook to the body,
00:42:33you would give the advantage so far
00:42:35to Barrera's body punching.
00:42:36But here comes Morales.
00:42:39Both fighters landing.
00:42:57Sometimes, in a physical sense, Larry,
00:43:01because the fight is so great and so taxing,
00:43:05both fighters lose.
00:43:05Is this the kind of bout which,
00:43:07if it goes 12 rounds, could change both fighters' careers?
00:43:10Absolutely.
00:43:11Very, very few fighters come out
00:43:13of an intense fight like this,
00:43:15both emotionally and physically,
00:43:17the same as they were before the fight.
00:43:20and so far, the same as they were before the fight.
00:43:23Personal, and so far, profound.
00:43:35Unbelievable action again in round seven.
00:43:39You've got to get pressure.
00:43:52You've got stamina to fight 20 rounds,
00:43:56not just seven.
00:43:58We've got to go quickly now.
00:44:01And the last few rounds are coming up.
00:44:03All right, what are you waiting for?
00:44:10Are you ready?
00:44:11Throw your punches.
00:44:12We were in Big Bear, and we trained perfectly.
00:44:16Throw your punches.
00:44:17Let your hands go.
00:44:18Let them fly.
00:44:19Wait.
00:44:20He's got nothing for you.
00:44:22You got him now.
00:44:23This is the eighth round.
00:44:24This is the eighth round.
00:44:25This is the eighth round.
00:44:26This is the eighth round.
00:44:27Second's out.
00:44:28Let's go.
00:44:29Second's out.
00:44:30Let's go.
00:44:32Let's go.
00:44:33Barrera honing in one of his combinations
00:44:36that landed, later responded to by Morales.
00:44:40But in round seven, Morales was able to launch 81 punches
00:44:44to only 42 for Barrera.
00:44:46Morales has been known in the past
00:44:48to rally over the closing rounds,
00:44:50not necessarily getting stronger as the fight goes on,
00:44:53but maintaining its energy levels
00:44:55while others get weaker.
00:44:57Let's see if he can do it here.
00:45:01This is...
00:45:02This is Barrera's 11th year as a professional fighter.
00:45:07Been through a lot of fights, a number of wars,
00:45:11the fight with McKinney, the two with Jones.
00:45:15And he told anyone who would listen
00:45:18that he was coming in here tonight
00:45:20to win or go out on his shield.
00:45:22He said,
00:45:23I'm going to knock him out
00:45:24or I'm going to get knocked out.
00:45:26So far, it's been that kind of a fight
00:45:28and it may go the distance anyway.
00:45:30Both guys have beards.
00:45:32Both guys can take big shots.
00:45:35with a good shot.
00:45:36Having a beard or a chin is a function of your willpower,
00:45:43your ambition, your refusal to yield.
00:45:47And that's what this fight is about, really.
00:45:52Morales' energy level starting to rise again
00:46:03When you see Morales start to bounce on his feet
00:46:08You know that he's looking for an opportunity
00:46:11He'll add the big right hand
00:46:12And here comes Barrera with a 1-2 combination
00:46:15That stops El Terrible in his tracks
00:46:18Another big right hand by Barrera
00:46:23And the left hook
00:46:25Four hard, unanswered punches in that exchange
00:46:32But here back comes Morales
00:46:35Jim, this almost makes up for all of those ordinary fights
00:46:42That were supposed to be special
00:46:44This is special
00:46:46You only hope that boxing fans everywhere
00:46:49Understood the significance of this one
00:46:52And have a chance to be sitting at home seeing it tonight
00:46:54Referee Mitch Halpern hasn't had much to do
00:47:07Both men have come to fight, not to hold
00:47:10Two right hands landed for Morales
00:47:25Barrera keeps coming through them
00:47:27Another right hand by Morales
00:47:30And another left hook for Barrera
00:47:32And the right hand
00:47:34And the left hook
00:47:35And they flayed right up to the bell again
00:47:39Stag at Sharky's
00:47:44Marcos, get some air
00:47:59Get some air
00:47:59This is yours
00:48:00This is all yours
00:48:02Don't let him take the initiative
00:48:04You've got to be first
00:48:05What's going on?
00:48:14You need to listen to me
00:48:15Pay attention
00:48:16You need to work the distance
00:48:19You can't be in there
00:48:20You have all the ability
00:48:22On occasion at close quarters
00:48:27You'll see Barrera actually close his eyes
00:48:29As he does there
00:48:31As he throws a punch
00:48:32Hasn't heard his accuracy in this fight
00:48:35He's still landing
00:48:3650% of his shots
00:48:38In round eight
00:48:42They were dead even
00:48:44In punch output
00:48:45Morales throwing 63
00:48:46Barrera throwing 62
00:48:48Harold Letterman
00:48:49Has the fight
00:48:50Even going to the ninth
00:48:52As I do
00:48:53So Barrera and
00:48:58Morales trading shots
00:49:00And trading rounds
00:49:02All three judges
00:49:06From here in Las Vegas
00:49:08Oh, a big left hook for Barrera
00:49:10And Morales comes back
00:49:13With the right hand again
00:49:14To this point
00:49:18As well as Barrera has fought
00:49:20The fight is a victory for him
00:49:22In a sense
00:49:23Regardless of what happens after this
00:49:26Obviously he wants to win the fight itself
00:49:29But he is fighting better than many people
00:49:32Anticipated that he could
00:49:33And fighting at the level of greatness
00:49:35He showed before his two losses to Junior Jones
00:49:38This is the Barrera who was 43-0
00:49:40He has taken three years to restore himself
00:49:44And he has indeed
00:49:46If he loses
00:49:51If he loses
00:49:51It's only because Eric Morales
00:49:53Is the best opponent of his entire career
00:49:56And if Morales loses
00:50:06It's because he was willing to be man enough to fight
00:50:09Marco Antonio Barrera
00:50:11Which was a brave choice in and of itself
00:50:14He had the Barrera rally early in the ninth round
00:50:24Here's the Morales rally to match
00:50:26And now a cut under the left eye
00:50:32Of Marco Antonio Barrera
00:50:34So finally Morales has broken through
00:50:37On the face of Barrera to draw blood
00:50:39This is the primal beauty
00:50:54Of true prize fighter
00:50:57Man against man
00:51:00Putting everything out there
00:51:02110% of each of them
00:51:06Involved
00:51:07In this tremendous battle
00:51:10If we go to the 12th
00:51:15And the fight is still this even
00:51:17I doubt any commentary will be necessary
00:51:20You're going to hear this crowd rise
00:51:24To the peak of its crescendo
00:51:26If they get to those last three minutes
00:51:28Oh, what a combination by Barrera
00:51:36Morales over committed with the right hand
00:51:38And Barrera hurt him badly
00:51:40To end that round
00:51:42All right, everything's okay
00:51:47All right, everything's okay
00:51:51You're angry?
00:52:01Don't close your eyes now
00:52:03You're closing your eyes
00:52:06You got to...
00:52:20You got to... Don't close your eyes now.
00:52:21You're closing your eyes.
00:52:27Moments early, we'll see the right hand
00:52:30that cut Herrera right there.
00:52:32The chopping right hand by Morales.
00:52:36This is not a dangerous cut.
00:52:41Herrera begins the 10th with a big left hook.
00:52:45Glancing blow.
00:52:48Harold, how do you have it?
00:52:493-9.
00:52:50Jim, 86, 85, five rounds to four.
00:52:54Marco Antonio Herrera.
00:52:56I just loved him in the eighth and a ninth.
00:52:58Two tremendous rounds.
00:53:00Could have gone either way.
00:53:01Herrera landed the harder shots, came back from that cut,
00:53:04and this keeps coming on the finger, not left hand.
00:53:07Eric Morales keeps working hard.
00:53:08Herrera outpunching him.
00:53:21And another fight against a great Mexican veteran.
00:53:23Eric Morales knocked out Daniel Zaragoza in the 11th round
00:53:26to win the title.
00:53:28But Zaragoza was 39 years old.
00:53:30Herrera is still a young man at 26,
00:53:33even though in his 11th year as a professional fighter.
00:53:36both fighters' faces beginning to swell all over
00:53:47from the sustained damage of the fight.
00:53:49Both corners trying to urge their fighters on
00:53:53with the sense of desperation necessary to know
00:53:55that they must pull out the last three rounds.
00:53:58Morales has landed a couple of real good,
00:54:08clean shots in this round.
00:54:12And another one there.
00:54:14And another one there.
00:54:15Three straight right hands by Morales,
00:54:17and Barrera just keeps coming.
00:54:23Sometimes you get a feeling, Jim,
00:54:26because almost they're giving too much to this.
00:54:29They're just emptying themselves.
00:54:31And another lead right hand lands plus for Morales.
00:54:34And that one hurt Barrera more than the others.
00:54:40Morales just trying to thrust through everything
00:54:42with that right hand.
00:54:48There is no pretense of defense in this ring.
00:54:56There is no pretense of defense in this ring.
00:54:59There is no pretense of defense in this ring.
00:55:03Over the years, there have been some unforgettable matchups
00:55:06between great Mexican fighters.
00:55:09This will stand the test of comparison
00:55:11with any of them.
00:55:13Uh, I go back to the fight between Pintor
00:55:16and Gomez, Gomez being Puerto Rican.
00:55:19Fabulous fight.
00:55:2014 rounds of non-stop action in that one.
00:55:27Until one of them collapsed.
00:55:29Ventura.
00:55:30This is every bit as good as that.
00:55:36Oh!
00:55:46Seated at ringside.
00:55:48Riyad Hamad, brother of Prince Nassim Hamad,
00:55:54he says that the prince who is fighting
00:55:57Vayungo Bungu in two weeks
00:55:59wants to fight the winner of this fight.
00:56:05Right now, he might want to fight him even more
00:56:07because neither of them is going to be the same
00:56:10by the time they get to the prince.
00:56:11Be that as it may,
00:56:12both of them can be opponents for the prince right now.
00:56:16Both have certainly earned consideration
00:56:20for other big match-ups down the road.
00:56:26Because even if he loses,
00:56:28Barrera at this moment is a liver item
00:56:30than he's been in three years.
00:56:33In round 10,
00:56:35Morales landed 32 punches to only 15 for Barrera.
00:56:38So if you had the same card
00:56:40as Larry and Harold after nine,
00:56:42you'd probably have it even now after 10.
00:56:45Five rounds apiece.
00:56:49Two champions in the championship rounds.
00:56:52How much have they got left?
00:56:54Big right hand for Morales,
00:57:10followed by a big right hand for Barrera.
00:57:17Harold Letterman gave the 10th round to Barrera.
00:57:19That's the first one where I would have disagreed.
00:57:28More body shots from Barrera
00:57:30as he continues ripping the left hook
00:57:32to the ribcage of Eric Terrible Morales.
00:57:37Morales' versatility is that he can't move
00:57:40if he wants to and jab.
00:57:43Barrera's versatility is he's more willing
00:57:46to go to the body as well as the head.
00:57:48Morales' versatility, Mike fan,
00:58:04he's more willing to go eat.
00:58:08Cephan!
00:58:11Cephan!
00:58:11Cephan!
00:58:12Cephan!
00:58:13Cephan!
00:58:13Cephan!
00:58:13Cephan!
00:58:14There's now a cut around the right eye, I believe, of Morales.
00:58:22Gradual damage that's been happening throughout the fight.
00:58:27And now Morales beginning to paw at the right eye,
00:58:29so the blood is coming into his eye from that cut.
00:58:32Briggs, get out of here.
00:58:37Watch Morales from time to time
00:58:39touch his right eye with the glove.
00:58:41The tell-tale sign that the blood is seeping into his face.
00:58:44Let go.
00:58:45Let go, Briggs breaks the net.
00:58:50Another long right hand lands for Morales.
00:58:53Barrera drives Morales back with another left hook to the body.
00:59:00Big right hand for Briggs.
00:59:02Briggs, get back to him.
00:59:11They had one common opponent, Junior Jones, who beat Barrera twice
00:59:24and was knocked out in four rounds by Morales.
00:59:26Largely on that basis, you suspect Morales was the heavy-betting favorite here.
00:59:41But it looks like a near-even fight as they get ready to go to the 12th round
00:59:46of an unforgettable war.
00:59:47Listen to me, Marco, I've heard that this fight is even.
00:59:57Whoever wins this fight wins the fight.
00:59:59It's always now, the last round.
01:00:01It's always now, the last round.
01:00:06Last round, last round.
01:00:09You need to move a little bit more.
01:00:11The lateral movement is what's going to help you.
01:00:15You've got to throw a lot of punches.
01:00:18Marco, you're good.
01:00:21You're better than he is.
01:00:28All right, seconds out.
01:00:29In round 11, Marco Antonio Barrera put his superior accuracy
01:00:33to work again.
01:00:34Morales seemingly slowed by the cut right eye,
01:00:37landed only 20 of 60 punches.
01:00:39Barrera 33 of 53, including 31 of 45 power shots.
01:00:43Three rounds to go now in what has been a truly great fight
01:00:47between warriors who must respect each other
01:00:50for what they've done.
01:00:55Eric Morales has never lost a fight.
01:00:58Marco Antonio Barrera has never wanted one more.
01:01:02On Harold Letterman's card, if Barrera stands up, he wins.
01:01:06And Reikard, the winner of this round, will win the fight.
01:01:15And I'm with you.
01:01:17I think it's the kind of fight where the winner of the 12th round
01:01:20is going to deserve to win the fight.
01:01:22We're closing the show.
01:01:23Hard right hand by Morales.
01:01:24One more show of energy from Morales,
01:01:36who's up and bouncing again.
01:01:38Stay back in there, stay back in there, stay back in there,
01:01:39stay back in there, stay back in there, stay back in there.
01:01:45Throughout the night, usually when Morales has stepped up
01:01:48to bounce and look to land his big right hand,
01:01:50he's doing that.
01:01:50He's doing that.
01:01:51He's looking forward to his left
01:02:17Herrera going forward.
01:02:20Pins Morales in the corner.
01:02:22They trade again.
01:02:26Neither man with a huge advantage
01:02:27through the first two minutes of the 12th.
01:02:30What will the last minute bring?
01:02:37Cloud nervously expectant
01:02:39as they root for their respective warriors.
01:02:42All right, Greg, Greg, Greg,
01:02:43good touch, good touch, Brooks.
01:02:44Good touch.
01:02:47Two left touch by Herrera
01:02:53and Morales has wobbled.
01:02:56Morales using the ropes to steady himself
01:02:59almost went down.
01:03:01The ropes, Jim, and his heart.
01:03:05And there's the first knockdown
01:03:07of Eric Morales' career.
01:03:09And that could be the difference in the fight.
01:03:11That could be the difference in the fight.
01:03:14I didn't see the punch.
01:03:16A little left-hand inside.
01:03:19Now Morales knows he's got to do something dramatic
01:03:22right back.
01:03:23And he's only got 15 seconds to do it.
01:03:2612, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
01:03:36What a fight.
01:03:38I think Barrera won it.
01:03:39I think Barrera won it.
01:03:41A brilliant 12th round performance
01:03:43by Marco Antonio Barrera.
01:03:46Fabulous fight.
01:03:47good touch.
01:03:54Thank you, guys.
01:03:55Go!
01:03:58We're here.
01:03:58We're here.
01:03:59We're here.
01:04:00We're there.
01:04:01We'll win here
01:04:01on the railroad.
01:04:02Come on.
01:04:02.
01:04:03I'm going to die.
01:04:04Go.
01:04:04Go.
01:04:05I'll do it.
01:04:06He's going to take a look at the exchanges here and try to see if there was a real punch
01:04:28that caused the knockdown.
01:04:30Here you see Barrera chasing him down earlier in the round when he hurt him.
01:04:34Now that this is the same sequence, this is not the sequence of the official knockdown.
01:04:42But this defined the round.
01:04:44And now here's the moment that may decide the fight.
01:04:47It was not a punch.
01:04:49This was not a punch.
01:04:53Barrera may have won that round anyway and won the fight.
01:04:58This fight should not be decided on a no-punch knockdown.
01:05:03Indeed. If the fight is decided by two-point rounds in Barrera's favor, that will be an injustice
01:05:09because, as Larry pointed out, there was no punch.
01:05:14He missed with the little left hand.
01:05:17And Morales' head contacted his body instead.
01:05:20Harold, what's your final card show?
01:05:22Okay, Jim, I thought Marco Antonio Barrera certainly was effective enough in the last five rounds
01:05:27to win this fight.
01:05:29116, 111, eight rounds to four.
01:05:32Marco Antonio Barrera, you've got to call that 12th round 10-8.
01:05:35Mitch called it 10-8.
01:05:37It's a judgment call on Mitch's part.
01:05:39If you get down on the end of a punch or you get down as a delayed knockdown
01:05:42or you go to a knee, it's a knockdown.
01:05:45Morales went down.
01:05:46Mitch called it a knockdown.
01:05:47It's got to be 10-8.
01:05:48So, Marco Antonio Barrera, the harder puncher, stunned Morales throughout the last five rounds.
01:05:53I thought he won it.
01:05:54Michael Buffer has the decision already.
01:05:56Let's not wait.
01:05:57Go.
01:05:59Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause, please,
01:06:02for two fighters at 122 pounds that fought their hearts out here at the Mandalay Bay of Las Vegas.
01:06:11We go to the scorecards and we have a split decision.
01:06:20Dwayne Ford scores the belt, 114 to 113 for Barrera.
01:06:26Carol Castellano scores the belt, 114 to 113 for Morales.
01:06:36And Dalby Shirley scores the belt, 115 to 112 for the unified champion by split decision,
01:06:46De Sonanotra y Tijuana, Mexico, Eric Terrible Morales.
01:06:53So, the crowd reacts to the split decision in favor of Eric Morales.
01:07:19As usual, there is no facial expression from Marco Antonio Barrera to betray his emotions,
01:07:26although right there, I think you can begin to see his disappointment.
01:07:29Harold Letterman, what about three judges who saw it that way?
01:07:33Well, you mentioned there's going to be plenty of controversy over this one.
01:07:36Certainly, Marco Antonio Barrera down the championship's right rounds,
01:07:41forced a fight, took it to him, stunned him on numerous occasions.
01:07:44I mean, there was no possible way with a 10-8 round and a 12th, you could give it to Eric Morales.
01:07:50I disagree totally.
01:07:53Nevertheless, Morales gets the call on two cards.
01:07:56We look at final punch stat numbers to look for some reasons why.
01:08:00And there's one big difference.
01:08:01Morales throwing 270 more punches than Barrera threw.
01:08:05But Barrera landing at a much higher percentage, 48% to 37%.
01:08:11And if you look at power punches, where the real damage was done because both fighters largely dispensed with their jabs,
01:08:18Barrera was right there in connects, throwing fewer, connecting at a higher rate,
01:08:23and in our view at least, doing more damage with each punch.
01:08:27Now let's go to Larry Mertzett, who's with the winner and still champion, Eric Terrible Morales.
01:08:33Eric, congratulations.
01:08:36Were you sure you had won the fight after the 12th round?
01:08:39You were sure that after the 12th round, you had won the fight?
01:08:43It was really very difficult.
01:08:47In the fall, they said that it was a very clear push.
01:08:51Unfortunately, the referee didn't see it well.
01:08:53In reality, it was a very close fight.
01:08:56I thought I won it because the knockdown was not a real knockdown.
01:08:59It was a slip.
01:09:01Were you surprised at how well Barrera fought you?
01:09:05It surprised me how good that Barrera fought this night.
01:09:09It was a very hard fight.
01:09:14I think he tried to be a great fighter at the top of the ring.
01:09:18He came to me in many occasions.
01:09:20And in reality, the truth, I think I was at the point of going to me.
01:09:25Absolutely so.
01:09:25He fought magnificently.
01:09:27He fought real brave.
01:09:28And let me tell you the truth.
01:09:29There were many, many times when he had me reeling and I thought I was going out.
01:09:33There were a few times, I was about to ask, when it seemed that you were almost going to go down
01:09:39and you just were able to steady yourself against the ropes or just manage to stand on your feet.
01:09:46Is that true?
01:09:46Were you, was the emotions of the fight make you fight more of his fight than you really wanted to?
01:10:04Con la emoción de la pelea, tú peleaste más, el estilo de él.
01:10:07Eso es, asà que, eso fue lo que pasó?
01:10:10La gente esperó mucho tiempo por ver una gran pelea.
01:10:13Yo creo que se merecÃa ver una gran pelea sin importar los fÃsicos, sin importar si salÃa limpio o no, quién ganaba.
01:10:21Yeah, the people waited so long for a fight like this.
01:10:24We wanted to give them all.
01:10:25Even if I got all beat up or he got all beat up, they needed to get a fight like this.
01:10:29Yo vine a cumplir eso.
01:10:30I came to fulfill that wish what the crowd wanted of a good fight.
01:10:35Will you give him a rematch or do you want to go to the 126-pound championship and fight Prince Nassim Hamed?
01:10:45¿Le darÃa una revancha a Barrera o quieres ir a pelea con Hamed en las 26?
01:10:49Yo dije que era la última vez que peleaba en 122 libras.
01:10:51Lamentablemente, realmente me siento muy cansado en 122 libras.
01:10:57I said it all along, this would be my last fight.
01:11:00And I really, really, it's weakening making 122 pounds.
01:11:04I'm moving up.
01:11:05Would you fight a rematch with Barrera at 126 then?
01:11:15Absolutely, what a pleasure.
01:11:17He's a great fighter and he deserves a rematch.
01:11:19Thank you very, very much, Eric.
01:11:21Again, congratulations.
01:11:22Back to you, Jim.
01:11:24All right, Larry, thanks very much.
01:11:26Well, the great news is a tremendous battle.
01:11:29Both fighters fighting courageously and well.
01:11:32Here's a look at the judges' scorecard by which Morales got the decision that many here, I believe, are going to see as questionable.
01:11:39Castellano, one point in Morales' favor.
01:11:41Dwayne Ford, a point in Barrera's favor.
01:11:44Dolby Shirley, somehow seeing the fight, three points to the favor of Eric Morales.
01:11:50That one, a little hard to figure.
01:11:52Let's go back to Larry Merchant.
01:11:54You may have just seen, Jim, on camera that Eric Morales handed the belt that Barrera had owned back to him in respect for the performance he gave tonight.
01:12:07Give us your feelings about the decision.
01:12:15Yeah, I really don't know what you have to do in Las Vegas to win a fight.
01:12:21This is the second fight that has happened to me.
01:12:25The people are the best judges of all.
01:12:29They know who want to fight.
01:12:32Were you able to force him into your kind of fight simply because of your determination to get inside?
01:12:40I came to make my fight.
01:12:53I knew that I had a good preparation, and that's what we did.
01:12:56Did you think you ever had him close to stopping him?
01:13:00Yes, I had him a few times, but I couldn't put the last little touch on it to knock him out.
01:13:12All right, Eric Morales said that he would be happy to give you a rematch, but that only at 126 pounds.
01:13:20Would you fight him at the featherweight limit of 126 pounds in a rematch?
01:13:43I would have to talk over with my camp.
01:13:45We feel we won the fight.
01:13:46This shouldn't be a rematch, but we have to talk about it.
01:13:48Thank you very, very much for a great fight.
01:13:55I want to let HBO know that their champion is not that good.
01:14:00He's not that good.
01:14:00Thank you very much.
01:14:01He's not that good.
01:14:02Jim.
01:14:04All right.
01:14:04So at the conclusion of the fourth year of HBO's Boxing After Dark, the beginning of the fifth,
01:14:10yet another landmark event in the series.
01:14:12And earlier this evening, we told you that you could tune in to our HBO website and select
01:14:17your favorite Boxing After Dark moment for the first four years.
01:14:21Tonight's online results reveal.
01:14:24Number three, Artur Agati versus Wilson, or versus Ivan Robinson, I should say.
01:14:29August 22, 1998.
01:14:30That got 16% of the vote.
01:14:32It was a great fight.
01:14:33Number two, Oleg Moskiav's memorable knockout of Hasim Rahman this past November.
01:14:39The fight in which Rahman nearly landed in our lap at ringside after being knocked through
01:14:43the ropes.
01:14:44And the number one choice, the first main event ever on Boxing After Dark, February 3, 1996,
01:14:50when Marco Antonio Barrera TKO'd Kennedy McKinney in a wild pitched battle in the Forum in Los
01:14:57Angeles, a fight in which McKinney went down five times, but was still in the fight with a chance
01:15:02to win when it was finally stopped there in the 11th.
01:15:07We'll never forget Barrera from that performance back in February of 96.
01:15:11Larry will never forget Barrera for his performance in what ultimately would turn out to be a losing
01:15:16effort tonight.
01:15:18Yeah, one comment about what he said in there, Jim, he said HBO's champion did not win the fight,
01:15:25there's some words to that effect.
01:15:27We should make it very clear that, yes, Morales has appeared many times on HBO, but so has Barrera,
01:15:35and that we at ringside thought Barrera won the fight.
01:15:38I thought it was a tough decision, a close decision.
01:15:41You can't get too upset about a fight in which you have it one round one way and the judges have it
01:15:48another round, but I thought Barrera did enough to win the fight.
01:15:51I'd love to see a rematch.
01:15:52I don't know if they have it in them after giving so much of themselves to have a rematch immediately.
01:16:00Yeah, and after Morales takes this kind of punishment in the fight, if I'm Prince Nassim Ahmed,
01:16:04I say make me the Morales fight as quickly as possible.
01:16:07Now's the time to fight it.
01:16:09Right, and I have just had one other thought watching this.
01:16:12You know, I was bopping around Las Vegas on a beautiful day today, and you walk down the street,
01:16:17and one moment you're in Egypt, and the next moment you're in New York or France or some exotic place.
01:16:26But I must tell you that here at the Mandalay Bay, which is another exotic place,
01:16:31it really is Mexico and the best of Mexico we saw tonight.
01:16:36Absolutely. It was great to be in Mexico tonight, and it was great to have you with us.
01:16:40Let's look ahead now to some upcoming programs right here on HBO.
01:16:44Next Saturday on HBO, he's a three-time world champion.
01:16:53The golden boy Oscar De La Hoya takes on top contender Daryl Coley,
01:16:56and welterweights Arturo Gatti and Joey Gamache go toe-to-toe.
01:17:00Then, there's something kinky going on at this therapy session.
01:17:04Next Saturday on HBO, a world championship boxing doubleheader at 9,
01:17:08followed by Real Sex 24 at 11.30.
01:17:12Next Saturday on HBO.
01:17:1412 hours from now, convicted killer Frank Beecham will be executed by lethal injection.
01:17:24I believe we're going to a better place, better justice there.
01:17:27Mr. Beecham, I don't care about justice in this world or the next.
01:17:33Did you kill that woman or not?
01:17:35Read the transcripts. A witness saw Beecham with a gun.
01:17:38How could you have seen over the potato chips?
01:17:40The potato chips.
01:17:42After a police investigation, a trial, what, six years of appeal, and you found discrepancies?
01:17:48Clint Eastwood. Isaiah Washington. Dennis Lurie. James Woods.
01:17:53I don't know whose head you're trying to save here. Beecham's are your own.
01:17:59True Crime. Premieres Saturday, March 4th on HBO.
01:18:02Our boxing lineup in March includes Prince Nassim Hamed defending his featherweight title against the dangerous Guyanibungu.
01:18:10And then on the 18th, super featherweight champion Floyd Mayweather takes on Goya Vargas.
01:18:14HBO, the heart and soul of boxing.
01:18:17One of the stories featured this month on Real Sports with Brian Gumbel,
01:18:20an investigation into the recent suspension of St. John's Star point guard Eric Barkley
01:18:24for allegedly violating NCAA regulations.
01:18:27Real Sports, where nothing is out of bounds.
01:18:29If you were with us for this edition of Boxing After Dark, you saw an unforgettable 12-round slugfest
01:18:35between two terrific Mexican fighters, the younger Eric Morales,
01:18:40eking out a decision over the slightly older Marco Antonio Barrera
01:18:44in a hallmark fight for both fighters in their brilliant careers.
01:18:48Coming up immediately following tonight's coverage of Boxing After Dark,
01:18:52stay tuned for The Sopranos, and we know you will.
01:18:54So now for Larry Merchant and Harold Letterman, I'm Jim Lampley saying so long
01:18:59from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
01:19:03The executive producer of HBO Sports is Ross Greenberg.
01:19:06Tonight's telecast of Boxing After Dark was produced by Rick Bernstein
01:19:09and directed by Mark Payton.
01:19:11The associate directors, Thomas Erdelfelt and Matt Boland.
01:19:15Assistant to the producer, Thomas Huffine.
01:19:17Production manager was Don McCalley.
01:19:19The technical supervisor, Bob Hunter.
01:19:21And the technical director was Doug Gantz.
01:20:23This has been a presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
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