When reports
of a new HBO Boxing series surfaced sometime around the New Year in 1996, the
obvious intention was to showcase younger or lesser-known talent. Perhaps not
quite as apparent was the network’s specific intention to expand its
international reach by including fighters from abroad, as HBO would control all
international rights to a boxing series for the first time ever.
For its
February 3 premier, two of the four fighters chosen for the show’s
maiden voyage hailed from outside of the United States: lanky Brazilian unknown
Giovanni Andrade, and Mexican part-time law student (and WBO junior
featherweight titlist) Marco Antonio Barrera, a 22-year-old who had been
appropriately named 1995’s international fighter of the year by the BWAA.
The opening
bout of the broadcast, WBO super flyweight champ Johnny Tapia vs. Andrade, did
little to boost any interest at all, much less outside the U.S. Moments into
the fight, Tapia caught Andrade with a punch below the equator, which appeared
to set the tone. Andrade was floored by a right hand to the temple in the
second round, rose, and hit the deck again near the end of the round, courtesy
of a hard hook to the waistband. An unfortunate ending, Andrade chose to roll
around on the canvas in feigned agony as referee Raul Caiz, Sr. stopped the
fight.
Salvaging
the broadcast seemed a sizable task following the disappointing outcome, but
Barrera and Kennedy McKinney lightened the mood -- and then some. The crowd of 7,900 at the Great Western Forum
in Inglewood, CA witnessed a “Fight of the Year” caliber main event, contested on
a reasonably high level of skill despite the ferocity of the exchanges.
*******
The former
Olympic gold medalist McKinney’s drug and alcohol issues were well-documented
earlier in his career, and the pre-fight tale wasn’t without its own drama. At
a press conference in the Forum Club the week of the fight, Barrera slapped
Kennedy in the mouth as he was jawing about Barrera’s lack of accomplishments –
at the same podium where Riddick Bowe punched Larry Donald in 1994 while
promoting their fight. Soon after, the 30-year old McKinney scrapped his WBU
title rather than pay the $10,000 sanctioning fee for the fight.
Barrera was
no stranger to the Forum, and the McKinney fight represented his 9th time making an appearance there.
Neither man
wasted time visibly establishing a strategy in the first round. Though Barrera
often leapt in wildly and was able to connect with lead right hands and some
tough body shots, McKinney’s consistent jab and good footwork set a range that
wasn’t easy for Barrera to work with at times.
The champion
Barrera almost seemed to be taking good chunks of round 3 off, perhaps saving
energy for a much better the 4th that saw both men finding success and trading
at the bell, prompting Larry Merchant to state, “This is about as good as it
gets.”
As the bout
moved into the middle rounds, Barrera began to separate himself from McKinney
very slightly, establishing his own jab from longer ranges and crushing Kennedy’s
midsection with hooks in close. McKinney wasn’t far behind, but his movement
slowed as he fought more off his heels than his toes, digging in and attempting
match Barrera’s higher output, and earning a puffy left eye in the 5th and bloody mouth in the 7th.
Tempo slowed
considerably in round 8, and Barrera again showed off a nice jab before dropping
McKinney with a right hand. After beating the count, Kennedy was swarmed and
dropped once more officially in the round, though he fell into the roped in
what could have been called another.
McKinney’s
movement became more panicked as his face swelled in the 9th, and he
was again knocked down by a series of right hands, but found a way to finish
the round. The tide turned in round 10 when Barrera appeared wobbled against
the ropes by McKinney, who looked to be making a stand as the two exchanged
furiously again before ref Pat Russell absurdly interrupted a good sequence to
give McKinney his mouthpiece back.
A jabbing
battle broke out in round 11 initially, but McKinney made Barrera’s glove touch
the canvas after the two traded right hands – Marco’s first ever knockdown. The
two again ended the round trading.
The final
round was greeted with cheers, and Barrera savagely brutalized Kennedy’s
midsection, knocking him down twice officially, before lowering the boom with a
right hand that took all the remaining fight out of Kennedy, and Russell called
the fight with less than a minute left.
All told,
Barrera landed 436 of 875 punches in the fight – a statistic written all over
Kennedy McKinney’s bruised and swollen mug.
Even in
harsh defeat, McKinney displayed memorable heart by rising from multiple
knockdowns and giving his all fighting back, rarely clinching or giving way to
caution. But in his 40th fight, through the static expression and
predatory instinct, Barrera showed glimpses of the technician he would go on to
become.
*******
Featured at Undisputed Fight Magazine
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