On Saturday, 7th April 2001, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas hosted the highly anticipated matchup between British superstar Naseem Hamed and Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera. The bout, promoted by Holden Productions, featured the vacant IBO World Featherweight Title at stake. Hamed entered the ring with an undefeated record of 35-0-0, while Barrera held an impressive record of 65-3-0. Despite being a 3 to 1 underdog, Barrera displayed a strategic change in his boxing approach that ultimately led to his victory.
In this clash of titans, Hamed weighed in at 126 lbs and Barrera at 125½ lbs. The match was refereed by Joe Cortez and the judges were Duane Ford, Chuck Giampa, and Patricia Morse Jarman. Broadcasted live on HBO World Championship Boxing and Sky Box Office, the fight drew significant attention from boxing fans worldwide.
Barrera's decision to adapt his fighting style paid off, as he thoroughly outboxed Hamed throughout the contest. Instead of his typically aggressive approach, Barrera employed sound boxing techniques to combat Hamed's unorthodox style. This strategic change was a key factor in Barrera's unanimous decision victory over Hamed.
The judges' scorecards reflected Barrera's dominant performance, with Duane Ford scoring the bout 115-112, Chuck Giampa 116-111, and Patricia Morse Jarman 115-112 in favor of Barrera. HBO's Harold Lederman also scored the fight 115-112 for Barrera, noting that Hamed was ahead 3-2 after five rounds, with the fighters even at the halfway mark.
In the 12th round, Barrera was deducted one point for intentionally slamming Hamed's head into a turnbuckle. Despite this setback, he emerged victorious in the championship rounds as Hamed appeared to tire. The fight generated 310,000 pay-per-view buys, showcasing its immense popularity among boxing enthusiasts.
With this impressive win, Marco Antonio Barrera claimed the Lineal and IBO Featherweight titles.
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