LOS ANGELES—Fighting under the shadows of the heavyweights, Filipino 105-pounder Mark Barriga gets the chance to score a big performance when he faces Mexican-American Carlos Licona for the vacant International Boxing Federation minimumweight title Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) at Staples Center.
“Not everyone receives this chance, an opportunity to fight for a world title,” said Barriga after coming in at 103.6 lbs during the official weighin held Friday afternoon at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Licona, taller by two inches at 5-4, also came in under the 105-lb limit, stepping in at a shade under.
The Barriga-Licona bout will be one of 13 matches on schedule with the world heavyweight title collision between US champion Deontay Wilder defending against British challenger Tyson Fury.
As promoters focused mainly on the sport’s’ biggies, Barriga and Licona hardly got any press from the media that descended here, except from a sprinkling of Mexican and Filipino entities.
Other than them, Barriga and Licona were overlooked as though theirs was put in just to kill time as just about everything that took place in the runup was participated in not only by active heavyweights but even those from a different era.
To hype Wilder-Fury showdown even more, seven heavyweight greats were flown in: Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Michael Spinks, Buster Douglas, Gerry Cooney and Earnie Shavers.
In fact the cold treatment showed during the undercard presser last Thursday wen Barriga and Licona were not included on the program.
Still, Barriga (9-0 with one KO) doesn’t mind being relegated to being a sideshow.
“What’s important is to win the fight,” said Barriga, who brought honors to the country after a decorated amateur career that saw him compete in the 2014 Asian Games and 2012 London Olympics.
Licona (13-0 with two KOs) is a noted aggressor but Barriga believes his skills will be enough to propel him to victory.
Backing up Barriga’s every move here include childhood friend Jerwin Ancajas, the reigning IBF super-fly champion, chief trainer Joven Jimenez, strength coach Delfin Boholst, cutman Todd Makelim, former amateur team mate Charly Suarez and the father-and-son duo of Sean and Brendan Gibbons.
Jerry Cantu will referee the Barriga-Licona bout while the three judges are Esther Lopez of New Mexico, Edward Hernandez Sr., also from California, and Tom Carusone of Connecticut.
Should Barriga gets lucky, he will become the country’s fifth current world champion after Ancajas, Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire and Vic Saludar. (Nick Giongco)
