Arum rules out Barrera vs Pacquiao or Morales

LOS ANGELES — Marco Antonio Barrera, the reigning WBC super-featherweight champion, is totally out of the picture. Well, at least for now.

Bob Arum, top honcho of Top Rank Promotions, said Thursday that whoever wins the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales fight on Jan. 21 won’t have Barrera as the next opponent.

"Forget Barrera," Arum told The STAR when he showed up at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood where Pacquiao held his first public workout for his coming rematch with Morales.

"If they want an idea of what Barrera is worth, it’s that Barrera cannot draw the people. In his last two pay-per-view fights nobody watched," said Arum.

The bubbly American is the promoter of the Jan. 21 fight billed as "The Battle." He is also the promoter of Morales who defeated Pacquiao last March at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Barrera is being managed and promoted by Oscar dela Hoya who owns the Golden Boy Productions. Obviously, there’s no clear line between Golden Boy Productions and Top Rank Promotions.

Barrera said the other day he wants to defend his 130 lb title against Pacquiao if the latter beats Morales.

Pacquiao knocked out Barrera in a non-title fight in November of 2003.

The Pacquiao-Morales rematch will also be in Las Vegas, at the 16,000-seat Thomas and Mack Center inside the UNLV campus. Arum said ticket sales for the fight are "phenomenal."

"If Erik wins the fight, he wants to have a revenge fight against Zahir Raheem or maybe fight Juan Manuel Marquez," said Arum in finishing off any talks with Barrera.

Morales absorbed a stunning loss to Rahim last September and is so eager to get back at his tormentor. Marquez is the reigning WBA featherweight (126 lb) champion but is planning to move to 130 lb.

"And if he (Erik) loses to Pacquiao, there a clause in their fight contract for a rematch so they would have a rubber fight," said Arum at the packed Wild Card Gym. — Abac Cordero