At Wednesday’s press
conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, both Australian
former-Olympian Robbie Peden (60-4, 42 KOs) and Marco Antonio
Barrera (25-2, 14 KOs) were all smiles. The trash talking was
good-natured. The two fighters gladly stood for photos with huge
smiles spread across their faces.
But if you look at the odds across Vegas and the Internet, only
Barrera has reason to smile. Peden is listed anywhere from being a
6 to 1 underdog to, at some books, an even longer shot. When the
two champions fight in the “Parade of Champions” on HBO
pay-per-view live from the MGM Grand this Saturday, August 17, at
8:00pm PST, Barrera will have no shortage of advantages.
Barrera is more experienced. He has almost twice as many
professional fights as Peden and almost all of them against higher
quality opponents than Peden’s record indicates.
In what can only be argued as great luck for Barrera, the entire
fight is being billed as a celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
Barrera attracts patriotic fans from his home country wherever he
goes, but the emphasis on Mexican Independence Day will get the
crowd riled up even more. If you’ve ever been to the MGM Grand
Arena, then you know that fan noise echoes off the roof and walls
and a boisterous fan section can push a motivated fighter through.
Still, Peden smiled through the press conference.
Maybe it’s because Peden likes being the underdog. It motivates
him. He’s had upsets in his career such as his eight round defeat
of Nate Campbell. But Peden has never won against an opponent the
caliber of Barrera, and it’s very possible that, even with his work
ethic and power punches, the Vegas odds makers are right and Peden
will simply be outclassed in an environment that is going to be
rocking with Mexican Barrera fans.
It’s undeniable that Peden vs. Barrera isn’t the fight the fans
wanted to see. With Erik Morales, Manny Pacquiao and Jesus Chavez
right behind Barrera in the rankings, the fans were hoping for a
more tightly contested fight from what is arguably the most
exciting weight class in boxing right now. Peden has a chance to
make us all believe he’s for real, but unlike many underdog fights,
it’s hard to believe. There just seem to be too many factors
stacked against Peden.
It’s not often that a Vegas fight stirs up such little interest
within this town; however, everywhere you go, people seem more
interested in the outcome of the Sugar Shane Mosley (40-4, 35 KOs)
bout against Jose Luis Cruz. (32-0-2, 27 KOs). Anybody who saw
Mosley's “come back” bout at Caesar’s Palace earlier this year
knows he didn’t necessarily look as though the return to his former
weight class was the solution to his career problems that he was
searching for. It’s not unlikely that the Mosley/Cruz bout will end
up being the highlight bout of the night. If 61% of respondents in
the online HBO poll are correct, Barrera is going to win by
knockout. And I think they’re right. I’m making plans to be
purchasing overpriced cocktails at Studio 54 by 9:00 pm. But I
truly hope that Peden proves me wrong and goes the distance, maybe
even pull the upset. He’s worked hard. The odds are stacked against
him. We all cheer for the underdog.
Who knows? Maybe Peden is just smiling because he knows something
about his ability and potential that I don’t.
Agree or disagree?
Comments can be emailed to Jocelyn Saurini
