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I shared 23 hard rounds with Manny Pacquiao, but Naseem Hamed was the best boxer I ever faced
Marco Antonio Barrera had his last fight in 2011 and when he exited the sport of boxing, he did so knowing that he had given it everything.
As well as entertaining audiences on a regular basis, Barrera was a dominant force at the highest level, and he shared the ring with many great fighters.
The Mexican star was renowned for his toughness and resilience and that was perhaps best demonstrated in his three-fight series with great rival and countryman, Erik Morales.
In 2000, the pair engaged in one of the greatest fights of all time that Morales eventually won, but Barrera would eventually win their series as he took the next two fights in what remains one of boxing’s most brutal trilogies.
As well as Morales, Barrera also shared the ring with the likes of Naseem Hamed, Manny Pacquiao, and Juan Manuel Marquez.
In 2001, against Hamed, Barrera produced one of the best performances of his career as he dominated Hamed and inflicted the sole defeat on the Englishman’s record.
Despite going on to lose to Pacquiao twice and also endure a setback against Marquez, Barera still regards Hamed as the best fighter he faced during his lengthy 75 fight career.
“It would definitely be Naseem Hamed, because he made it extremely difficult to hit [him],” said Barrera when asked by The Ring who was the standout boxer he encountered.
“He would come around from different angles, his boxing approach would be different from the rest, and he stood out from the rest. His punching ability from different positions and an overall tough guy to get a good, solid hit on.”
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