Barrera is the pick.

[TheShrimp]

You would have to beat me on the head with a 2x4 to get me off this pick.

Played Barrera. $100 -> $28.

Tapia is a respectable fighter. His only two professional losses were to Ayala. But he easily could have lost that last one, too where he got out-worked (by the man with the longer reach, too).

Tapia is 35 compared to 28 for Barrera and gives up considerable reach. The quality of competition faced is not in the same league.

My concerns would be a Barrera let-down after his big time bout with Morales, and Tapia maybe making this the defining fight of his career. Maybe a "last hurrah, leave it all in the ring" kind of fight.

But I still think Tapia is in the next tier down from Barrera and Morales and even Hamed in the featherweight division.

I have quite similar views on the Morales/Ayala bout but I think Ayala is a bit better than Tapia and has a more befuddling style. I don't like laying the juice as much in that fight, but I'm still mulling it over.

GL.

Some interesting fights between now and end of the year.

TheShrimp

 

[badjab]

I agree, but...

I agree, but...

Barerra definitely has more power than Tapia (can't remember the last time I saw Johnny knock anyone out) and has faced tougher competition. Tapia is a warrior however and will not go down easily -- I love it when he takes a good shot and then gets charged up (reminds me of Rocky). The question is...can Tapia outpoint Barrera if it goes to a decision? I think so. I don't plan on betting this one, but I wouldn't put a bet on Barrera at more than -200.

 

[gardenweasel]

agree barrera the better man

agree barrera the better man

and i think if he fights his fight(which would be pressure and body shots)he would eventually chop tapia down...if he fights like he fought in his second morales fight,he just might lose.....he does not fair as well vs slick boxers...that`s why junior jones gave him fits and why morales gave him trouble the last time...i really think morales is showing serious wear and tear and if barrera would have pressed the second fight,morales would have folded....as it played out,i had morales winning the second fight close...tapia is the smaller,less powerful guy,but he can make guys look bad with frenetic flurries that do little damage...i think it`s up to barrera...if he wants to work,he should win and maybe stops tapia....if he dicks around,like morales 2,all bets are off...i really never had much respect for tapia....i always felt he avoided the tough fights(when your career defining fight is with danny romero,that`s weak)and i really believe he took the first ayala fight because,honestly,ayala was not all that highly thought of prior to the first tapia fight.....i don`t think tapia can stand up to a consistent pounding like barrera is capable of dishing out....if (and i mean if)barrera fights his fight,i honestly believe barrera will win,maybe easily,but, i don`t have the cojones to lay the wood after seeing barrera lay that egg vs a ready to be had morales....g.l.

 

[badjab]

can't lose

can't lose

I just found these numbers at sportsbook.com: heyes

Tapia to win +325

Barrera by KO 5-1

Barrera by decision 6-1

I think they screwed up their lines because the have Tapia by KO and decision at 5/6

 

[badjab]

they fixed the odds, but I beat them to it.

Hopefully, they'll honor my wagers.

 

[Mr.]

I think Tapia has value at this price. PLaying Tapia at +430 for 1 unit

 

[badjab]

Barrera by decision payed out at 6-1!!!

 

[TheShrimp]

I can't believe that badjab.

6-1 by dec. and 5-1 by KO for a 5-1 favorite are clearly WRONG.

Nice hit, though. I would have played both of those had I seen them.

I wouldn't say this was a great fight, but tapia showed a lot of heart. 1300 total punches is pretty active. The 6th round was great (that was the round that tapia started to make a push. maybe he was going for a rope a dope kind of thing?)

Foreman really seems to have something against Barrera. I don't know why he finds his style so boring. You're just not going to see too many Barrera-Morales I bouts. He threw a ton of punches, stayed toe-to-toe, even while clearly ahead, and showed a lot of skill.

I was impressed with Barrera's defense. He redirects punches very well. Even when Tapia flurried, he rolled with a lot, slipped some, blocked some, and he loves to give it back after being hit -- a quality that Foreman usually touts, but apparently not with Barrera.

Looking forward to Morales/Ayala, Ward/Gatti, and Klitschko/Byrd (is it Byrd or johnson?) coming up.

I suppose Barrera gets winner of morales/ayala. I'd pay for B-M III. Could he ever fight mayweather? probably too small.

TheShrimp

 

[Roger]

hopefully tapia will retire now and ride off into the sunset...

 

[TheShrimp]

klitschko is fighting mccline, not byrd or johnson.

roger -- i don't see tapia retiring. he wasn't talking after this one like he was thinking about it.

he got his ass handed to him, but he's probably thinking he just went 12 with the best featherweight in the world and he wants more.