Destination Read Free Page A

Shocker. “Shot”—bullshit.
    Morales backs up. Morales moves in. They trade right hands.
    Morales backs up Barrera. His rights sting.
    They square off. They trade. Morales backs up Barrera.
    They circle. They pause.
    Morales backs up. Let’s bait and counter.
    He taps the ropes. Barrera’s on him. They trade hooks at the bell.

    The 122-pound showdown between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera for the junior featherweight title would become the fight of the year.
(Photo by Ben Watts)
    The noise built. The noise leveled. The noise leveled loud.
    Round 2:
    Barrera stalks. Morales jabs.
    It’s a range finder. It’s a sizer-up. It’s a reach enhancer.
    He’s dancing. He’s on his toes. Barrera closes in.
    He lands a left hook. He lands a left/right.
    Morales stands firm. Morales steps inside. Morales lands an uppercut. Morales rocks Barrera.
    They stand. They trade. They deliver.
    Morales has right hands. Morales has uppercuts. Barrera has killer hooks.
    They disengage. Barrera moves in. Barrera hooks low.
    Morales jabs. Morales moves in. Morales lands lefts and rights. Morales eats hooks.
    He’s fighting Barrera’s fight. He’s standing in. He’s taking to give.
    He’s fighting close range. He wants to. His work vibes abandon.
    He’s pausing. Barrera’s on him. He’s launching hooks.
    The bell. Hard to hear. One mini-gong.
    The noise built. The noise releveled. The noise releveled loud.
    Round 3:
    Morales circles. Morales jabs. Barrera lunges. Barrera hits his knees.
    He gets up. The ref wipes his gloves. Morales comes on.
    Morales jabs. Morales leaves a jab out. Barrera hooks low.
    Morales moves back. Barrera stalks. Barrera lands hooks.
    Morales moves in. He lands two-handed. He moves back.
    Barrera presses.
    He misses hooks. He lands hooks.
    Morales leans on the ropes. Morales blocks hooks. Morales eats hooks.
    Morales spins off. Morales lands two-handed. Barrera spins off. Barrera moves in. Barrera repins Morales.
    He lands. He misses.
    Morales launches. Barrera launches. They trade fucking wild.
    The bell. A beep in a cacophony.
    The noise cranked. The noise releveled.
    I yelled. My wife yelled. Words went undiscerned.
    A sign bopped me. A guy apologized. The Morales fan yelled. I read his lips. He said, “Barrera!”
    Round 4:
    Barrera stalks. Morales jabs. Morales spins and falls.
    He gets up. The ref wipes his gloves.
    Breather.

    In round 4, Barrera focused almost exclusively on Morales’s thin frame, investing in punches to the ribs that would weaken him later in the fight.
(Photo by Ben Watts)
    Barrera circles. Morales circles. They’re rubber-band-tight.
    Barrera works the body. Morales moves back.
    He flurries. He moves. He flurries. His work rate’s up.
    They regroup. They’re in sync. They’re synced to stand and deliver.
    War. Collaborative. Mexican.
    They fight off the ropes. They spin loose. They reverse positions.
    It’s wild.
    It’s war in sync.
    Barrera flurries. Barrera rings the bell.
    The crowd stood. The nose releveled. I got the gestalt.
    Bipartisanship. National pride. Love inclusive.
    It had it even. Morales: punch stats. Barrera: aggression.
    I held a piss. My heart fluttered. The noise hurt my head.
    Round 5:
    They move. They meet. They trade jabs.
    Barrera hooks to the body. Barrera plows Morales. Morales hits the ropes.
    Morales flurries off. Morales pops Barrera. Morales dominates.
    Morales lands rights. Morales staggers Barrera. Morales lands uppercuts.
    Barrera wobbles.
    I vibe turning point. I vibe wrong.
    Morales fades. Morales wings arm shots.
    They both weave. They both wing. They both miss.
    Barrera comes on. Barrera backs up Morales. Morales taps the ropes.
    Barrera fades. Morales wings arm shots. Morales extricates.
    They square off. They weave. They circle and stalk.
    Sync. Pre-attack mode.
    Barrera sucks it up. Barrera pounds Morales. Morales taps the ropes.
    Barrera flurries.