Written by Sean Malone | 07 September 2008

Heading into Saturday night's lightweight battle between Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis many people felt that the co-featured bout of the night between Rocky Juarez and Jorge Barrios had the potential to steal the show.  Funny how some things come to fruition isn't it? Prior to the bout, an impromptu poll by some of us at ringside had the vast majority in favor of a Barrios victory.  Many felt that Juarez' slow, often methodical attack would be easy pickings for the nonstop aggression of Barrios.  Many felt that Barrios won a psychological battle at previous days weigh-in when the enigmatic Argentinean got in the face of Juarez during the stare down and taunted the Houston fighter.  Fast forward to Saturday night and you had the stage set for a real barn burner of a battle and to the joy of the partisan crowd of over 15,000, the fight lived up to the hype.  At first things looked promising for Barrios as the Argentinean brawler was landing thudding hooks to the body of Juarez.  But despite eating more than a favorable amount of body shots Juarez' power seemed to be taking the steam out of Barrios in the later rounds.  The end came hard and fast, after a left hook stunned Barrios, a hard right from Juarez put him down and opened up a gruesome cut on his lip.  With the meaty part of his lip dangling the ringside doctor halted the bout.  Juarez found redemption Saturday night in the company of his hometown supporters.  Then again for them Juarez was not in need of redemption; he had never let them down.  And as Juarez bludgened  Barrios, the Toyota Center crackled with the energy of his fans, losses to Barrera, Marquez, and Soto only endeared him to them. 

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