Nov 27, 2004 3 min read

LAS VEGAS (AP) – They are two little guys, but it doesn’t get much bigger than Erik Morales fighting Marco Antonio Barrera. The two have met twice, with the first fight becoming an instant classic and the second one not too far behind. Each won one, and they fight again Saturday night in a rubber match at 130 pounds that has captivated the attention of their countrymen in Mexico.

Barrera is moving up in weight to challenge Morales for his 130-pound title in a fight that pits two boxers with a genuine dislike for each other.

“They hate each other,” promoter Bob Arum said. “In all my years in boxing, I have never, ever seen such a legitimate, mutual hatred than the one that exists between these two fighters.”

Morales won the first fight in 2000, surviving a 12th-round knockdown to win a controversial split decision in a bout many called the fight of the year.

The two fought at 122 pounds and traded punches virtually nonstop over 12 rounds; many at ringside thought Barrera won.

Barrera came back two years later to win the rematch at 126 pounds, but is an underdog in the third fight to Morales, who has fought three times at 130 pounds.

The scheduled 12-round fight from the MGM Grand hotel-casino is expected to begin about 11 p.m. EST (HBO pay-per-view).

“This is the weight that maybe I should have been fighting a long time ago,” Morales said. “I’m a more complete fighter at 130; this is a good weight for me. I think you’re going to see the difference. I’m going to be stronger. I’m going to be able to do more things that I couldn’t do because of the weight.”

Barrera has never fought above 126 pounds, and took a beating last year from Manny Pacquiao before coming back in his last fight to stop Paulie Ayala.

Barrera (58-4, 41 knockouts) not only needs to show he has recovered from his devastating loss, but also that he can fight at the higher weight.

“This is not my weight, but I accepted the fight for all the people who want to see it,” Barrera said. “No excuses, before or after the fight. I am here to win it.”

Morales (47-1, 34 knockouts) has held titles in three weight classes, with his only defeat coming in the rematch with Barrera. Like Barrera, he is a brawler who is not afraid to take punches to land his own.

“I always fight to the end. I never quit on anybody. I am always there,” Morales said.

“If anybody questions my heart, they can watch my fights.”

On the undercard, Rafael Marquez meets Mauricio Pastrana for the IBF bantamweight title, while Oscar Larios and Nedal Hussein fight for the WBC super bantamweight title.