Barrera Postpones Title Fight

For 10 days, Marco Antonio Barrera tried to fight through the pain of bruised ribs.

In the end, he lost that fight.

Injured in a sparring session with Robbie Peden at his training headquarters in Big Bear, Barrera has been forced to postpone a featherweight title fight against Erik Morales, scheduled for March 2 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The fight will be rescheduled for April or May.

It’s been a bitter promotion from the start. Barrera, still fuming over the split decision he lost to Morales in their first fight in February 2000, has been openly disdainful of Morales, and Morales has responded in kind.

The two exchanged punches at a news conference in Texas, and nobody who was there thought there was anything fake about it.

And now, even the postponement has turned bitter.

“These types of injuries are part of the job,” said Morales upon learning he’d have to wait a little longer before finally getting back into the ring with Barrera. “Anyone who does this for a living knows that you hurt every day and that’s just part of training hard.

“My elbow is hurting very bad and I have a mouse under my right eye from the training, but I just take some medicine and get back in the ring and train.

“When I fought Guty Espadas, I was not 100% and it showed in the ring. I felt very sick, but I did the best I could and I won. I have been criticized for that performance, but when I sign a contract and give my word, I keep it.

“He went to so many doctors and exams until he found one who told him he was hurt and he couldn’t fight. I understand that, when you are really injured, you can’t fight. But you do not cancel an important fight because you don’t feel well. I think it’s time that he admits that he’s afraid of fighting me.”

Said Barrera, “The doctors have advised me that I should not attempt to fight. My trainers also agree. I am very saddened over this, but I want my fans to know that I have done everything possible since the accident.”

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Shelly Finkel, Mike Tyson’s manager, says he is getting “mixed signals” from California about the possibility of staging a Tyson-Lennox Lewis heavyweight title fight at Staples Center. There has been heated debate over licensing Tyson after the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied the former two-time heavyweight champ’s bid for a license late last month.

Although it appears the climate may be more favorable in Texas, where Finkel has applied for a license for his fighter, he also has obtained a license application from the California Commission.

The fight was originally scheduled for April 6. The earliest possible date now is April 13.