PRESS RELEASE:  RICHARD SCHAEFER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GOLDEN BOY PRODUCTIONS:  Thank you so much and good morning, good afternoon to everybody.  Thank you for joining us on the conference call for the first actually pay-per-view event of the year, and what a way to start it, with March 17, HBO pay-per-view Fearless, a great battle between the two best fighters from Mexico, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.

The magnitude of this fight is further underlined by the fact that HBO has put together a special documentary show chronicling the Barrera and Marquez fight and everything leading up to it.  The history between these two fighters from where they came from, it’s going to be an amazing piece which is actually going to be shown on HBO several times. 

The first time it’s going to be shown this coming Saturday right following the Klitschko fight which will be shown on HBO, will air live at 4:45 PM Eastern and 4:45 PM Pacific, then again at 10 PM  Eastern and Pacific, so that special show will be shown twice.

This is a great fight and it’s a fight between  two of the clearly best pound for pound fighters  The odds in Las Vegas are extremely close.  Barrera is a slight favorite with about one and a half to one.  It’s going to be an amazing fight between the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera, who of course has fought and won against the best in a long and successful career.

Now, this legend, instead of just going into the sunset wants to put an exclamation point behind his career and he takes on a man who has been avoided by the most.  Of course, most notably by Erik Morales who never wanted to fight him.  Marco taking on Juan Manuel Marquez shows that he is the ultimate Mexican warrior, and of course, for Juan Manuel Marquez, this is the opportunity which he has been waiting for.

You know, Marquez had such an amazing fight against Pacquiao, which ended in a draw, which most people felt Marquez actually won, and I think even Pacquiao didn’t really want to fight Marquez any more because the kind of offer they made him for the rematch money wise was clearly way too low, and so I think that was just a way for the then promoter not to make that fight again.

Juan Manuel Marquez, he clearly is one of the most avoided fighters and he is one of the best.  Amazing style, really a student of the sport, has a great team behind him, so there is so much going on for him.  Juan Manuel Marquez’s brother Rafael had a true fight and victory against Israel Vazquez this last weekend.  Most people agree that these seven rounds this past Saturday were the best rounds this year.

Rafael Marquez captured in the process the WBC Super Bantamweight title and now his brother wants to win the WBC Super Featherweight title.  It would be actually the first time in the history of the sport that two brothers are holding the WBC title at the same time.

This is about pride.  It’s about history, and most importantly, it’s about who is the best fighter from Mexico, so the question is will Juan Manuel Marquez take this opportunity and show the world what he is all about and establish himself as the best fighter, or will the legendary Barrera once again show the world that he is the best fighter ever to come out of Mexico.

There’s a great undercard as well to support these warriors, so it’s really going to be a great, great way to kick off the pay-per-view season for boxing.  This is what boxing fans deserve, clearly the best fighting the best.

I want to turn it over now to Eric Gomez, who’s going to make a few comments in Spanish, and then of course Juan Manuel Marquez is going to make his statement and is going to be available for questions.

ERIC GOMEZ, VICE PRESIDENT AND MATCHMAKER, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:  Thank you, Richard. 

(SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Juan?

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ, BOXER, GOLDEN BOY PRODUCTIONS:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ERIC GOMEZ:  Ok, so I think we’re ready to open up for questions. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)  We’re ready for questions now.

OPERATOR:  At this time, if you would like to pose a question, you may press star one on your telephone key pad.  We will pause for just a moment to compile the Q&A roster.  Your first question is coming from Dan Raphael of ESPN.

DAN RAPHAEL, ESPN.COM:  Hey everybody, how are you guys today?

UNKNOWN MALE:  Hey, Dan!

DAN RAPHAEL:  Eric are you translating?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, I am.

DAN RAPHAEL:  Could you ask Juan, was he at Raphael’s victory last week, first of all?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Juan, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)?

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, no he couldn’t be there but he was watching by television.

DAN RAPHAEL:  In training (INAUDIBLE) right?

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  You’re going to be translating the answers, too, right?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, OK, yes, he was watching on television.

DAN RAPHAEL:  OK, and from Mexico, correct?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

JUAN MARQUEZ:  Si, en México.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, with the family. He was in Mexico.

DAN RAPHAEL:  OK.  Can you ask him, Eric, what was his feeling in seeing his younger brother, you know, do, you know, such a great feat going from being Bantamweight champion to winning the Super Bantamweight championship?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Juan (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  Bueno (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  Very, very happy, we celebrated with the family.  Obviously there it was a little scary after the third round, but after that we all celebrated at home with the family.

DAN RAPHAEL:  Can you ask him, you know, they’ve held titles at the same time in the past when he was Bantamweight champion and Juan Manuel, you know, had the Unified Featherweight title.  Can you just ask him, does it motivate him against Barrera to do the same feat that his brother did, which is to move up in weight and win another title of a higher division, or does it put more pressure on him?

How does he view the unusual situation that the two brothers are in right now, you know, a good situation?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ERIC GOMEZ:  He said that no, it’s motivation.  It’s motivation, after seeing what he did, it’s motivation to be able to become the champion at 130 pounds, and he said that it’s a little bit of a, you know, controlled anger that he’s going to have up there.

DAN RAPHAEL:  OK, can you also ask him what is, is there any sort of brotherly rivalry between the two of them?  Do they try to best each other in what they can do, or what is their relationship like exactly?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  No, there’s no rivalry whatsoever.  In fact, it’s motivating. They both work hard and they both want to be champions and they both want to win.  There’s no rivalry whatsoever.

DAN RAPHAEL:  Do they ever spar together, Eric?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  They did once before, way back.  Not any more.

DAN RAPHAEL:  What happened at that time?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, he said that, you know, they did before in the past and it was war, so each time they would train and spar each other it was war, so his dad kind of had to step in and prohibit them from sparring each other.

OPERATOR:  Thank you. Your next question is coming from Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.  Please limit your questions to two questions.

LANCE PUGMIRE, SPORTS COLUMNIST, LOS ANGELES TIMES:  Hi, Juan Manuel, how are you today? 

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

JUAN MARQUEZ:  Muy bien, gracias.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Very good, thank you.

LANCE PUGMIRE:  Hey, can you talk about the significance of you and your brother holding WBC titles at the same time, and in your own mind can you talk about, there may not be a brotherhood rivalry, but can you talk about who you think is better in the pound for pound argument?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, he said basically the first answer to the first question is, you know, they train hard.  They both train hard and they both want to be champions, so they are always going to do their best, whether it’s becoming the WBC champion or not.  They’re going to train and they want to win.

The second question is, he said he leaves it up to the experts.  It’s not really for him to judge who’s better or who should be higher in the pound for pound list.  Leave it up to the experts and it’s up to them to say.

LANCE PUGMIRE:  Thank you.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Thank you. Lance.

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is coming from Jose Sanchez (ph) from (INAUDIBLE) Newpaper.

JOSE SANCHEZ, COLUMNIST:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

JUAN MARQUEZ:  Si.

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, I’ll translate.  I’ll translate now some of the questions that were said in Spanish, that were asked in Spanish.  Basically he asked about, you know, the title of the fight is Fearless. Who from the both fighters should have fear, and Juan’s response was no. When you go out there and you’re a pro, a professional fighter, and you put on those gloves, nobody has fear.  You have to do your craft and be successful in it.

The other question was whether he felt inferior because he was moving up to Barrera’s weight, and he says no, that he feels that he’s going to be stronger at that weight, at 130 pounds.

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is coming from Ludo Saenz of (INAUDIBLE).

LUDO SAENZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

LUDO SAENZ:  Manuel, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

LUDO SAENZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LUDO SAENZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

LUDO SAENZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  Si, gracias.

ERIC GOMEZ:  I’ll translate now in English some of the questions.  The first question from Ludo Sands (ph) to Juan was about the weight.  How do you feel in camp going up to 130?  It’s his first time fighting at 130 pounds and how has he felt in camp?  And Juan said that he feels very, very good. 

The second question was about speed.  How do you feel and has it affected your speed going up to 130, and Juan replied with he feels that he has more speed now than he did before.

The last question was after Pacquiao, after the Pacquiao fight, Marco now is going to be the toughest fight since the Pacquiao fight.  Do you think it’s going to be a tougher fight, or what do you think about Marco as a fighter, and how would you compare him against Pacquiao?

And his answer was Marco is very tough and skilled.  He’s one of the best at 130 pounds.  It’s going to be a tough fight with him.  It’s going to be a very, very tough fight.  Pacquiao on the other hand, I feel is maybe a little faster, maybe a little stronger, but it’s a totally different style.

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next caller is coming from Chuck Johnson of USA Today.

CHUCK JOHNSON, BOXING COLUMNIST, USA TODAY:  Hey, how you doing, Juan?  I’d just like to ask you how long have you wanted this fight with Barrera, and was there ever any doubt in your mind that this fight would happen?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Juan, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)?

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE). 

ERIC GOMEZ:  Juan?

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Hello?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Wait, Chuck.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Oh, OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Juan, are you there?  You know what, Chuck?  I think he might have cut off.  Hold one second, please, we will try to get him back on.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Juan?  They’re going to reconnect him, Chuck.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  All right.  No problem.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, he’s calling from Mexico from the training camp.

UNKNOWN MALE:  (INAUDIBLE)

ERIC GOMEZ:  Chuck, this is, Ramiro Gonzales (ph) has just informed me this is the 78th time that two championships of Mexican fighters are facing each other.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  The 78th time?

ERIC GOMEZ:  The 78th time.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  That two Mexican champions are facing each other?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, Marco being the WBC Super Featherweight Champion, and Juan being the WBO Featherweight Champion.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Right, OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  You know what is an interesting trend as well, which I’ve noticed over the past years or so?  That it seems like sometimes fighters stay for maybe too long at a particular weight class so when they have a chance to move up and be in a big fight, it’s sort of like it’s a relief for them and they often actually perform better at the higher weight than they did before.

So you saw that obviously with Rafael Marquez here, but you saw it as well last year when Hopkins moved up to challenge Tarver it was sort of like interesting to note that it seems like it’s sort of like a relief for these fighters after being for so long at a particular weight class to finally be able to move up.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Yes, right, OK. 

ERIC GOMEZ:  Hold on.  We’re going to get him in a second, Chuck.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  All right.  No problem.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  They actually, Ramiro, another point that Ramiro brought across is that in Mexico City they actually live very close to each other.  They’re like, Marco lives like the next town over from Juan.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Is that right?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, and Marco made a comment yesterday that they’re separated by a stop light.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  What are the two towns called, do you guys know?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNKNOWN MALE:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  OK, one of them is I-Z, I-S-T-A, I-Z-T-A-C-A-L-K-O.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  I-Z-T-A-C?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, C as in cat, A-L-C-O.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Iztacalco, who’s that from? Who’s that?

UNKNOWN MALE:  That’s Barrera.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Barrera’s from Iztacalco.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  And Juan is from, let me see if I’m saying this right, OK, it’s I-Z-T-A-P-A-L-A-P-A.

UNKNOWN MALE:  Yes.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Iztapalapa.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK, and they’re how close?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  They’re like, it’s like the next town over.  Marco says that they’re only separated by one stop light.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Oh, is that right?  OK.  So do they run into each other, or does Ramiro know that?  Do they run into each other regularly, or…

UNKNOWN MALE:  (INAUDIBLE).

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, he says that they’re two of the most dangerous towns in Mexico, actually.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Is that right?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  There’s a lot of crime around there.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  A lot of crime in those towns?  So is that, that’s where they live or that’s their home town? 

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  That’s their home town. 

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Oh, OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Juan still lives there, I believe.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK, well yes, they list him as Anaheim.  I don’t know if he is or not, but, OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  I think he has a home there as well, in Anaheim.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  I think they just reached him now.  They’re just connecting him now.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK, all right.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  OK, Chuck?

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Yes.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Marco made a comment yesterday that he’s expecting Juan to stand in sight.  That hopefully he doesn’t run.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  So that’s pretty interesting.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  That’s what Marco wants, a toe to toe battle?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  I think so, yes. 

UNKNOWN MALE:  (INAUDIBLE)

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Oh, OK, and it’s going to be Marco’s fifth defense.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Fifth title defense for Marco?  OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  After winning the belt from Erik Morales.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Right, so is that, is Juan still, he’s still keeping his Featherweight belt then, going into the fight?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, if he, obviously if he wins, then he has a decision to make, whether he’s going to vacate or not.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Right.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  And then if he loses, then the, I believe what’s going to happen is he’s going to have to do an immediate mandatory to defend the 1/26 belt.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  If he wants to remain as a champion.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Right.

OPERATOR:  Hello?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Operator?  Yes?

OPERATOR:  Great, OK, I’m going to conference in Marquez.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  OK, great, thank you.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  You remember the question, Eric?

ERIC GOMEZ:  No, if you repeat it, please.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  I wanted to ask him how long has he wanted this bout with Barrera, and was there ever any question in his mind that it would happen?  Did he doubt that it would happen or did he worry that it wouldn’t happen, or just what his thoughts were?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  Hello.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Si, Juan?

UNKNOWN MALE:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  Oh, OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, yes, he says that basically he’s wanted this fight for over four or five years, and yes he did have doubts.  He said that he felt that at one time or another Marco was going to retire and that he would never be able to get the opportunity to fight him and he wanted to thank Marco for giving him the opportunity.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  So, as far as the draw against Pacquiao, does he feel like there is unfinished business there, and does he think that bout, rematch will happen with that pairing?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says that basically right now he’s concentrating on Marco Antonio Barrera. Manny Pacquiao does not exist in his mind right now.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  So that’s all he’s concentrating on and that’s all he’s thinking about.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  All right.  So does he anticipate this being the toughest fight of his career?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says yes.  He says it’s the most important.  It’s the most difficult and the toughest fight of his career, and that’s why he’s prepared himself like never before for this fight.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Yes.  You mentioned about how close they live.  Ask him about how much interaction he’s had with Barrera.  How well does he know him and does he see him on a semi-regular basis?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, he says that they’re not really friends.  They’re acquaintances.  He says that you know, it’s been a while.  He hasn’t really had too much contact with him.  Yes, the town’s right next door to him, but he says that they’ve always had a mutual respect for each other’s career.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  Yes.  OK.  All right, and as far as moving up in weight, you know, Rafael, his brother, said before at his fight that it wouldn’t make much difference.  Ask Juan does he think moving up in weight is going to make a difference in his case?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  No, he doesn’t think it’s a problem.  It’s only like two kilos, which is like four pounds, that he’s going to move up.  It’s not that bad.  He says that he’s prepared himself.  He’s sparred with guys that are bigger.  He’s fought with guys that are bigger.  It’s not big deal to him.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  OK, and last question, does he think this bout in some way it might be getting overshadowed by the pre publicity of the May 5th fight between De La Hoya and Mayweather?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, no, he says not at all.  He says that, you know, a lot of people have been talking and there’s been a lot of reports on the March 17th fight.  It can’t be ignored.  It’s a big fight as well, and obviously Oscar’s fight is going to be a great fight, and it’s a big fight, but no, he feels that there’s been enough publicity for March 17th.

CHUCK JOHNSON:  All right.  Thanks, Juan.

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is from Robert Morales of Los Angeles Daily News.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Hey Robert! (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ROBERT MORALES, COLUMNIST, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS:  Hey listen, Eric, put this to Juan for me.  I would say that just about everybody has his brother Rafael higher in the pound for pound polls, and I think a lot of polls even have Rafael higher than Marco in their polls. 

That said, do you think it’s fair for Richard or anybody else to call this fight the fight between the two greatest Mexican fighters?  Do you think that’s unfair to Rafael?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, no he said obviously, he said, it’s arguable.  There’s people that feel that Rafa should be up there, and he says that he feels very proud and happy for that fact, and if Richard makes a comment that it’s the two Mexican fighters, then you can argue that fact as well.  So he says that no, he doesn’t feel in any way bad about it.

ROBERT MORALES:  OK, very good, that’s fair.  One other thing, it seems like, and for those of us who have gone back to the Forum days when Juan was already a great fighter, it doesn’t seem like Juan ever got his, you know, the recognition that he deserves.  Does he think that a win over Marco will finally get him that?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, he said that he, thank you for that, and obviously you know what he’s done, and that nothing’s been given to him.  He’s had to work hard for everything, and for this fight it’s the same thing.  He’s working very, very hard for this fight, and he feels that if people consider him after this fight it was a great victory to be a great champion, then, you know, by all means he would want that.

ROBERT MORALES:  OK.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, thank you.

UNKNOWN MALE:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Once again, if you do have a question you may press star one on your telephone key pads at this time.  Your next question is coming from David (INAUDIBLE) of Riverside Press Entertainment. 

DAVID AVILA, RIVERSIDE PRESS ENTERTAINMENT:  Hi everybody.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Hey, David.

DAVID AVILA:  My question is does Juan feel that one loss against Freddie Norwood years ago, does he feel that held him back from being considered one of the top fighters in Mexico for a while?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says that he blames more the promoter that he had that didn’t really do a good job in promoting him that kept him back from being considered one of the great champions from Mexico, but he says that thank God that he has the hunger and the desire to be that, and that’s what has brought him back and put him in the position that he’s in now.

DAVID AVILA:  And does, in those early years when Erik Morales was fighting Barrera those three times, how did it feel for him to watch those fights take place and people were saying that they were the greatest fighters from Mexico, how did it feel for him?  What was he thinking?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).  Hello? David (ph)?

DAVID AVILA:  Yes.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Oh, I think we lost him again.

DAVID AVILA:  We lost him again?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Juan?  Juan?  Hold one second, please.  Hold on.

DAVID AVILA:  OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  David?

DAVID AVILA:  Yes.

ERIC GOMEZ:  (INAUDIBLE)  a little problem (INAUDIBLE).

DAVID AVILA:  Oh, OK.  He’s up in the mountains? 

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, you know that is very difficult.

DAVID AVILA:  He’s too high.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, and you’re absolutely right, the first time (INAUDIBLE) and Barrera, and basically you know.  You know him. When he came to the (INAUDIBLE) he was one of the best.  Remember?

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, yes, sure.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  And then he was avoided by (INAUDIBLE), but he has (INAUDIBLE) because the person wasn’t proper and they don’t want to make the fight (INAUDIBLE) so Juan (INAUDIBLE) has been around like a lot of people, probably you know (INAUDIBLE)..

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, absolutely.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  And (INAUDIBLE)  the best Mexican fighter (INAUDIBLE)  right?

DAVID AVILA:  Absolutely.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  How did you feel about Barrera yesterday?

DAVID AVILA:  I, he looked anxious.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Anxious. Is that what I called it when I looked a little bit and he’s anxious, he’s really anxious for Juan.

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, you could tell he wants it.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  And also you can see that he had started at 115, remember that?

DAVID AVILA:  Oh, yes.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  So now…

DAVID AVILA:  With a lot of hair.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  But you see, he looked like a (INAUDIBLE) right, the (INAUDIBLE).

DAVID AVILA:  Oh yes, yes.  He’s, I think that fight with Rocky Juarez makes him really want to fight. 

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  And he’s gaining weight.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, we keep trying to reconnect Juan and it keeps cutting him off, but we’ll get him on there now.

DAVID AVILA:  Oh, OK.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  David were you at the fight this Saturday?

DAVID AVILA:  Oh, absolutely I was there.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  That was a good fight?

DAVID AVILA:  It was one of the best.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  It was a hell of a fight.  Rafa looked really good.

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, in fact they both did actually.  I was impressed.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  You know, but Rafa was, I think, he kind of looked better moving up in weight, you know?

DAVID AVILA:  He looked, I think Doug Fisher (ph) said it best when he said that he looked like the bigger guy.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, yes, he did, he did, and that was the big question in that fight, I think, was whether he would be able to withstand Israel’s attack because Israel was considered the bigger guy at 122.

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, strong guy too, very, very strong.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, exactly.

DAVID AVILA:  That was a very skillful fight.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, it was.

DAVID AVILA:  Maybe next time they’ll have 15,000 people.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, no kidding!

DAVID AVILA:  Yes.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  What was the attendance after all?

DAVID AVILA:  About 5,000.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  That’s good.  That’s very good.

DAVID AVILA:  For two weeks.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  That’s very, very good.

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, that’s like the next one should have 15,000.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, I think so.  I think so.  It has the potential to do that.

DAVID AVILA:  I remember back in the days of the Forum when fighters from Mexico City would fight, they’d get 17,000, 18,000 people.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Yes, when Chiquito (ph) started coming over and yes, and Marco started coming over, all of those guys.  Yes.

DAVID AVILA:  Or before that with…

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Oh, you’re talking about, OK, you’re talking about way back.

DAVID AVILA:  Way back, when Olivarez (ph) and ChuChu Castillo (ph) and…

UNKNOWN MALE:  (INAUDIBLE)

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, they would pack that place in.

UNKNOWN MALE:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DAVID AVILA:  Samura (ph)?  Yes.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  That was a hell of a fight.

DAVID AVILA:  There was a lot of people there, too.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  That was kind of similar to this Saturday’s fight.  I mean, Saturday had a little more action but it was a good fight as well.

UNKNOWN MALE:  (INAUDIBLE).

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, very similar.

UNKNOWN MALE:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Oh, his nose?  Yes, the manager, Frank Espinosa said that Israel had a fracture on his nose.

DAVID AVILA:  Yes, I spoke to Frank yesterday and he was telling me that…

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  OK, Juan (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)?  Juan?  No he’s not there.

DAVID AVILA:  Oh.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, he is back.

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Juan?

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  OK (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, David (ph), let me see if I remember the question correctly.

DAVID AVILA:  OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, he says that yes, he had a little bit of anger.  He had a little bit of anger.  He didn’t like that, but you know, he was OK.  He was still working on his own craft and he was working toward his own fights and his title defenses, and well, better late than never, so he’s happy to have the opportunity now.

DAVID AVILA:  OK, then, well hey, thanks very much, everybody.

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, David (ph), thank you!

DAVID AVILA:  OK.

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is coming from Karl Freitag of Fight News Net.

KARL FREITAG, FIGHT NEWS NET:  Hello Ron (ph), Eric, and Richard!

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  Hey, how’s it going, Karl?

KARL FREITAG:  Real good, Eric, please ask Juan is he expecting the Barrera that’s the warrior that we all know and love in the ring, or is it going to be the patient Barrera that dissected Rocky Juarez in his last fight?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says that he’s expecting, he’s ready for anything.  He’s expecting the whatever.  Whatever it is that comes at him.  He says that he’s not expecting a one-dimensional Barrera.  Obviously that Barrera’s gone.  He’s ready for anything he brings at him.

KARL FREITAG:  OK, and this is kind of an unusual fight in that Barrera is also a partner with Golden Boy.  Ask him if he feels any kind of a disadvantage going into the fight when his opponent is also the, partially the promoter?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK he says no, he doesn’t feel any disadvantage.  In fact, he says up in the ring none of that’s going to help him, so he’s going to be ready to win the fight and he’s going to be prepared for anything up in the ring.

KARL FREITAG:  And then Eric, maybe you or Richard can answer this.  What about from the Gold Boy end?  Don’t you have a preference that Barrera wins?

RICHARD SCHAEFER:  No, not at all. 

ERIC GOMEZ:  We’re looking to do the best fights with the best fighters.  We feel that that’s what the public wants, and that’s what we want to give to the public.  We want the best fights, and these two great warriors want to fight each other.  They want to face each other.  They want to give back to the boxing community, and no, we want the best fighter to win.

Oscar put it best when we did our first press conference here in Los Angeles.  He said may the best fighter win.

KARL FREITAG:  Ok, well it’s a great fight, for sure.  Thanks very much, Eric.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Thank you.

OPERATOR:  Thank you, and our final question is from Ricardo Lois of Boxing Confidential. 

RICARDO LOIS, ASSISTANT EDITOR, BOXING CONFIDENTIAL:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO LOIS:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO LOIS:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  I’ll translate in English what the questions were.  The questions to Juan was, the first question was, you know, Marco made a comment that he would rather you stand and fight than to try to box and run.  How do you feel about that, and do you feel that you are a superior boxer to Marco?

And Juan’s answer was that no, he’s prepared for anything.  If Marco wants to stand and fight, he’s going to stand and fight.  If he wants to try to box, I’ll box.  You know, it doesn’t really matter.  I’m ready for anything.

And then the second question is Juan, how do you feel with Golden Boy Promotions, you know, you made a comment about your last promoter, how you felt that they weren’t promoting you properly?  How do you feel with Golden Boy Promotions, how the relations have been?

And he said well, you know, this is my second fight with Golden Boy and I’m fighting Marco Antonio Barrera, so I’m very grateful to them, and I’m very happy and I’m expecting bigger, better things in the future.

OK.  OK, Juan?  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JUAN MARQUEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).  OK, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Now we will ring in on Marco Antonio Barrera. 

ERIC GOMEZ:  Marco?  Are we going to put him on right now?  OK, now we’re getting ready for Marco Antonio Barrera, Guys, so thank you for being patient and for staying on the line, so as soon as Marco gets on we can start with the questions.

(SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ROBERT (ph):  Hello?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Yes, Robert (ph)?

ROBERT (ph):  Yes.

ERIC GOMEZ:  Hey. It’s Eric, how are you?

ROBERT (ph):  Hey, Eric, how are you?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Good.  I’m going to be translating for Marco, OK?

ROBERT (ph):  OK, here’s Marco, one second.

MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA, BOXER, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  Marco (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).  OK, Operator?

OPERATOR:  At this time if you would like to pose a question you may press star one on your telephone key pad.  We’ll pause just a moment to compile the Q&A roster.  Your first question is coming from Ludo Sands (ph) of (INAUDIBLE).

LUDO SAENZ:  Marco, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)?

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

LUDO SAENZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

LUDO SAENZ:  OK, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, I’ll translate in English.  Ludo’s question to Marco was, you know, you made a comment about Marquez, hopefully he’s going to stand and fight than run and try to box.  Can you expand on that?

And Marco said no, no, no, no, no.  I’ll clarify what I said.  Marquez made some comments in Mexico that he’s going to knock me out within six rounds.  Well if he’s going to knock me out he’s going to have to stand and fight and he’s going to have to modify his boxing style because he’s known as a counter-puncher, so that’s basically what I said.

OPERATOR:  Thank you. Your next question is coming from Roberto Morales, of Los Angeles Daily News.

ROBERT MORALES:  Hey, I guess I’m Roberto (ph) now.  Hey, Eric, how, ask Marco, how much intrigue is added to this fight what with both of them having made their bones out at the Forum years ago?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He said basically his answer was, you know, yes it’s going to be very, very interesting.  You know, a lot of people have asked me, you know, this is a fight that, you know, that’s been talked about for many, many years.  Why was it that it never happened?

And Marco’s answer was that basically hey, you know, I was never offered the fight.  We were both under the same promotional company with the Forum, and I was never, never offered the fight, but you know, like once again, better late than never and now here’s the opportunity for both fighters to meet each other and you know, he’s not taking anything away from Marquez.  He said he’s a great fighter.

ROBERT MORALES:  OK, thank you, Marco. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is coming from Jose Sanchez of (INAUDIBLE) Newspaper.

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
 
MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

JOSE SANCHEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, I’ll translate now in English.  He asked Marco, you know, you’re fighting against Marquez, he’s a good fighter.  What’s your plan to beat him?  And Marco’s reply was, you know, there’s not just one single plan.  He’s a great fighter.  I’ve seen tapes on him. 

He’s not the same fighter from one fight to another.  I know that he’s going to come out with some, you know, maybe something new.  I’m prepared for anything.  I’m prepared for anything and to fight the best Juan Manuel Marquez there is.

And then the other question was, you know, how do you feel fighting this guy toward the end of your career, toward your retirement?  You’ve made some comments that you’re planning to retire, you know, how do you feel about fighting Juan Manuel Marquez at this point of your career?

And Marco replied with, you know, I want to fight the best.  I want to fight the best and if I was planning to just go out, you know, I would have taken an easier fight so I can retire undefeat, you know, with my title basically, but no, you know, I want to fight the best and he’s the best so that’s who I want to fight.

And the last question was what’s your biggest worry in this fight, fighting Marquez?  And he said the biggest worry is that he is a Mexican as well.

OPERATOR:  Thank you, and your next question is coming from Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.

LANCE PUGMIRE:  Marco, how do you see, speaking of your future, I mean, how do you see your future with this fight and beyond?  I mean, have you set it out in your mind that you’ve got two, three, four fights left, or do you take it fight by fight?  What’s your thinking on the issue of your future?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He basically said that, you know, yes, his career is winding down and it’s changed a bit toward the, you know, to this point, but his feeling right now is possibly two fights.  This fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and possibly one more fight.  He’s 33 years old now and he feels that it’s the right time to say goodbye to this beautiful sport.

LANCE PUGMIRE:  Who would that last opponent be against?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says no, he’s never thought that way.  He respects every opponent, and right now his mind is solely on Juan Manuel Marquez.

LANCE PUGMIRE:  OK, thank you very much.

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Once again, if you do have a question you may press star one on your telephone key pad at this time.  Your next question is coming from Karl Freitag of Fightnews.com.

KARL FREITAG:  Hello, Marco.  As you’re nearing the end of your career, your, is your style changing?  Are you still prepared to go to one of those wars like you used to be in, or are you more interested in winning the fight and, you know, using your skill to do that?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says no, no, no, no, on the contrary.  He says this fight he feels he’s going to go back to being the Marco Barrera that he’s always been known for. He says that he’s planning to go toe to toe in this fight, and he wants to give the fans and everybody in attendance a great, great performance and a great fight, so he’s ready to go toe to toe from the first bout until the end of the 12th round.

KARL FREITAG:  In the last fight against Juarez, then, was that just a decision for that fight, to be a more technical fighter, or was it just something because Juarez wasn’t willing, or what happened there?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, no he said basically that was the plan from the get go in training camp with his team, his plan was to box against Rocky and to teach him a lesson.  Rocky had made comments that he was going to knock him out, that Marco didn’t win the first fight, that he was robbed.

And Marco said that him and his team had deiced for the second fight they were going to box him and basically just beat him with one hand, which was the left hand, and that’s what he decided to do and that’s the reason why he fought Rocky that way.

KARL FREITAG:  I know he’s probably sick of talking about it, but there’s his old rival, Erik Morales was cocky about going up to lightweight and continuing his career. Can we get his opinion on that for the public?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  ON the contrary, you know, he’s not tired of talking about Erik Morales.  In fact, you know, it’s, he’s OK with talking about him.  It’s kind of, you know, he’s a prestigious fighter, you know, he’s one of the best out of Mexico and you know, they had a great trilogy together, and you know, he doesn’t mind talking about him.

He says that, you know, Morales is a very smart guy.  He’s a very smart guy and hopefully he’s making the right decision and he is not making a mistake in moving up to Lightweight, because, you know, he deserves a very good farewell to his fans and to all of Mexico.

KARL FREITAG:  OK, thank you Marco and Eric.

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, thank you.

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is coming from Dan Raphael of ESPN:

DAN RAPHAEL:  Hey Eric, can you ask Marco, you know, he, I don’t know if he got a chance to see what Rafael Marquez did last week, but does he have an opinion about the thought that Juan is trying to replicate what his brother did, which is to become a Featherweight champion?  You know, move up and win a title in the second division in the way that Rafael did in Bantamweight and Junior Featherweight, and does that make him more determined to stand in the way of the family celebration?

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, he says, no, yes, it was a very good performance in Rafa and he said, you know, they’re both different fighters.  They’re individuals, and they’re very different fighters and you know, you can’t really categorize me as an Israel Vazquez as well.  I’m a different kind of fighter. 

I’m in a different league, he feels, and he said, you know, basically, you know, hey that’s not, that has nothing to do with it, you know, I don’t start thinking about that stuff.  I’m ready for anything.  I’m here to win.  I’m working hard to win. 

DAN RAPHAEL:  OK, and like some of us were interested in Juan Manuel’s response to this about him wanting this fight for a long time in his career.  Marco, unlike Juan Manuel, has had many big fights over his career, but is this, because of Marquez’s stature among Mexican fighters, was this a fight that Marco also has wanted for a long time, or is it just that it presented itself as the best option right now? 

Or is it something he had thought about for a long time, about facing Juan Manuel?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).  OK.  He said no, no he’s never really thought about fighting Juan, you know?  He says that, you know, his fight, what he really wanted was Manny Pacquiao.  Obviously, Manny was not available, so he said that, you know, he went for the next best thing, and you know, he’s a fighter that’s at the level that Manny is, and that’s the reason why he took it.

He took advantage of the situation, and he said OK, I’ll fight him.

DAN RAPHAEL:  OK, thank you, Eric.  Thank you, Marco.  I’ll see you guys next week!

ERIC GOMEZ:  All right, thank you Dan.

OPERATOR:  Thank you, and once again, if you do have a question, you may press star one on your key pad at this time.  Your next question is coming from Eddie Goldman of Seconds Out Radio.

EDDIE GOLDMAN, SECONDS OUT RADIO:  Hi Marco.  How’s everybody doing today?

ERIC GOMEZ:  Good.

EDDIE GOLDMAN:  Tell us about the weight in this fight.  This fights going to be at 130 and of course Juan Manuel Marquez is mainly known as a Featherweight.  Does he think this is going to be much of a difference?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, no he that it’s, he feels that it’s even on both sides.  He said that, you know, it’s not a big difference of weight.  Marco, and a lot of people know this, is that he’s, Marco’s not really a 130-pound fighter.  If the fight was to be made a 126, Marco would go down to 126.  If it’s supposed to be at 122, he’ll make the effort to go down to 122, so he feels that it’s even.  It’s an even fight.  The weight doesn’t really matter.

EDDIE GOLDMAN:  Can he explain what he feels some of his advantages are over Juan Manuel in this fight?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  The experience; the experience is a big difference.  You know, Marco’s had big fights.  He’s had big fights with, you know, some of the better known fighters in the world, and you know, and in Juan you have a fighter that, you know, this is probably his second biggest fight.  I mean, you know, he had the one fight with Manny Pacquiao and now he’s fighting the second biggest fight of his career.  So the experience is a big factor.

EDDIE GOLDMAN:  Where does he think he’s at?  Does he think he’s at a stage where he’s starting to slow down significantly?  Because that’s what a lot of people have felt about his long-term rival Erik Morales who lost a number of his other fights.  Does he think he’s still close to or at the peak of his career?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He says that yes, obviously he doesn’t feel the same any more.  You know, he’s not that young kid from 10, 15 years ago that was fighting in exciting clubs.  He feels it now, you know.  His body’s telling him that maybe it’s time to go, and that’s the reason why he’s planning to retire after this year, and, you know, his body’s asking for a way out, and you know, pretty soon he’s going to end up retiring.

EDDIE GOLDMAN:  OK, good luck in the fight.  We’re looking forward to it.

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  Thank you.

OPERATOR:  Thank you.  Your next question is coming from Rich Lopez of Cyber Boxing Zone. 

RICH LOPEZ, CYBER BOXING ZONE:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICH LOPEZ:  How is your, the preparations going for this fight?

ERIC GOMEZ:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  He said that it’s very good.  He said it’s one of the best preparations he’s had, you know, he started in Mexico.  He had a few weeks in Mexico and now he’s been in Big Bear for over a month now, or longer and, you know, he’s been preparing himself up in Big Bear using Shane Mosley’s training camp, and he feels that, you know, it’s one of the best preparations he’s had in his career.

RICH LOPEZ:  OK, I have another question.  What were you going to expect, the Marco that we saw in the Rocky Juarez, duking it out and slugging it out, or more of the boxing when he fought the Rocky Juarez rematch.

ERIC GOMEZ:  You know what, I’ll answer for him.  He answered that, just a little while ago someone asked that question, and he said that basically, you know what?  He’s going to go back to the old Marco. He’s going to be ready to stand toe to toe for 12 rounds and throw many punches and give the boxing fans what they want to see.

RICH LOPEZ:  OK, that’s it. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR:  Thank you, and once again, if you do have a question you may press star one on your telephone key pad at this time.  It appears we have no further questions.

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK, great.  Thank you, thank you all for being here.  Marco, (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)….Mandalay Bay for HBO pay-per-view, so we hope to see you all there at the Mandalay Bay, or you can watch it on HBO pay-per-view March 17th.  Thank you all for attending the press call today.  Thank you.  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MARCO BARRERA:  (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ERIC GOMEZ:  OK.  Thank you very much.

OPERATOR:  thank you.  This concludes today’s conference call.  You may now disconnect.