By DYAN CASTILLEJO-GARCIA
with JACKIE CASTILLEJO

On this episode, Sports Unlimited looks at the Barrera vs Marquez Fearless post fight special. We have analyses, interviews and insights plus a special dela Hoya-Mayweather fight update.

Well here I was, back in Las Vegas, the boxing capital of the world. We got ready for the first big fight of the year between two futures "hall of famers," Marco Antonio Barrera, a three-division champion; and Juan Manuel Marquez, a two-time champion. At stake was the WBC superfeatherweight belt and the right to be called Mexico’s best. Many thought this fight could never happen. But it sure was, I had seen both of them separately: Barrera, when he fell to Pacquiao in a surprise defeat in 2003; and Marquez in the spectacular comeback that saw him force a draw after being knocked down three times in the 1st round.

The Mandalay Bay Arena was filled to the rafters with boxing fans who knew they were in for a fight. All were advised not to blink or else miss the spectacular action expected between the two warriors who had both predicted a war. I was at ringside doing commentary with Sev Sarmienta. What a fight it was war from the first round. The fight showed the skill of Barrera and Marquez. It kept the crowd on its feet. The last 10 seconds of each round both fighters would intensify.

The highlight where most talked about in the fight was the 7th round. Marquez got the champion groggy with blistering conections. Barrera’s eyes were rolling but the champion came back with his own big one. Marquez went down but the referee didn’t call it. While Marquez was on his knees, Marco hesitated but gave the unsuspecting Marquez a hard right. It was “Boom” and a point deduction was given to Barrera.

The fight went down the wire all the way till the 12th. It could have gone either way but the judges scored it for Juan Manuel Marquez. He is the new champion. TV journalists like me were given first crack to talk to both Mexicans. We waited outside the locker rooms after 30 minutes. Barrera came out, he was disappointed. He believed he won the fight.

Aside from this, Barrera said he couldn’t think of anything else but a vacation with his family and then he would think about things. At the post fight press conference, a huge crowd congregated around Barrera. They felt it was his fight and wanted a rematch.

Marquez came out much later. The new champ was relieved. Finally he proved he was worthy to be counted in the league of great Mexican champions like Barrera. It was a new life for Marquez, the victory paved the way for him for many big fights. I had the privilege of a one on one with the winner Marquez the day after his fight.

He had only slept a few hours savoring his victory

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaeffer said they have reserved September 15 as the date for Marquez’s next fight. His contender is yet to be named.

The undercard to me was just as important. I promised Gerry Peñalosa I would be at his title fight here he was nine years older than the defending WBO superbantamweight defending champion Daniel Ponce de Leon. Gerry was confident. Ponce de Leon was shocked when the Filipino stayed up and strong.

At the post fight Ponce de Leon could not remove his glasses as his eyes were swollen so were his lips. Gerry was firm but extremely disappointed with the judge’s decision. Gerry worked so hard for this fight. Everyone I talked to agreed we were robbed. Gerry is determined not to give up on his dream to become a world champion again. He will go for it again and we're behind you Gerry.

Gerry may have lost but the Filipinos had one victory we didn’t see. Filipino Diosdado Gabi's practice was just as long and hard as Gerry Penalosa. They ran together, did mitts and worked their bodies for the big fight in Vegas as undercards. Gabi trained and managed by Freddie Roach looked strong coming into his fight.

From the opening bell he was aggressive and penetrated with much success the opponent backed off while Gabi poured on the heat. Gabi’s enemy was hurt from round one and it was apparent that he would not last long true enough to the second round. It was over, Gabi wins via TKO and improves his record. Gabi was ecstatic about his win. I quickly rushed over to the locker room to congratulate Gabi. “Way to go!"

Erik Gomez, vice-president for Golden Boy Promotions, gave me a tour of the very plush boxing office. For boxing enthusiasts it is a great place to be. It’s like a boxing museum. The punching bag at the entrance had signatures of some of the biggest names in boxing

In almost every wall there are pictures of the big fights put up by Golden Boy and many of Oscar de la Hoya's belts and awards. The Mexican American has won 10 championships in six weight divisions and it was very impressive.

I like the conference room where there is a huge stop watch showing a countdown to the much anticipated fight between de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather. The multimillion-dollar bout has a tag name: “The World Awaits”.

The fight will be held on May 5th at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. In the Philippines that will be Sunday and Sports Unlimited will be there. The MGM Grand Arena is the venue. Golden Boy has placed a special room for Oscar de la Hoya when he is not in training. This is where you'll find him.

Believe it or not out of the many times I've been to Las Vegas, I have never seen a single show. I am way too busy covering the boxing activities before, during and after the fight but last Sunday we had to see a 1 hour show.

Who's the celebrity when we were there? Martin Nievera. You will hear about it when in Las Vegas, Martin Nievera's brand new show at the Planet Hollywood Hotel at the strip.

Martin performs at the brand new Steve Wyric Theater and cost 17 million dollars to build. Martin does a 5 pm performance daily with one day rest. Tickets are at $79 and if you talk to the Filipinos and non-pinoys who watched, it is worth every cent. Tagalog and English songs, Martin does and everyone loves it. Entertainment is guaranteed with Martin on stage.