The First Few Rows May Get Bloody

Unsilent Majority|published: 10/06/2007, 5:18pm EDT

After waiting nearly four years Marco Antonio Barrera is about to step back into the ring with Manny Pacquiao, the man who shocked the western world. The last time around Barrera had to be stopped by his corner after suffering through nearly 11 brutal rounds against the powerful Filipino.

This time it's Pac Man who's coming into the ring as a big favorite and he's carrying some additional baggage. Pacquiao began training with Freddie Roach a month late and in a different country than everyone expected. However the biggest questions being raised do not concern his conditioning. Instead, it's the life the champion is leading outside the ring that has had critics doubting his focus in the past year. Pacquiao is far and away the biggest star in his native country and he's been roundly accused of falling into the typical pitfalls of celebrity. After a rather complacent victory (as complacent as a seventh round KO can be) over Jorge Solis some people—myself included—have speculated that Barrera could be a very live underdog tonight.

If you're looking to offset the cost of the pay-per-view you might want to throw down a few bucks on Barrera to win by decision at 4/1. It's far from a sure thing, but an all-time great Mexican champion like Barrera always has a fighting chance.