Sullivan Barrera

Sullivan Barrera (born 25 February 1982) is a Cuban professional boxer. As an amateur, he won the middleweight gold medal at the 2000 AIBA Junior World Championships.

Sullivan Barrera
Statistics
Weight(s)Light heavyweight
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Reach185 cm (73 in)
NationalityCuban
Born (1982-02-25) 25 February 1982
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights25
Wins22
Wins by KO14
Losses3
Medal record
Men's boxing
Representing  Cuba
AIBA Junior World Championships.
Budapest 2000 Middleweight

Amateur career

Barrera won the gold medal at the 2000 AIBA Junior World Championships as a middleweight. In that tournament, Barrera defeated Chad Dawson in the semi-finals and Imre Szellő in the final. Barrera took the bronze medal at Torneo Playa Girón in 2002 and 2003. Barrera's record as an amateur was 285-27.

Barrera defected to the United States in 2009, after two previous failed attempts.[1]

Professional career

Early career

Barrera made his professional debut in August 2009. He won his first five fights by way of knockout. On his 7th fight, Barrera won the WBA Fedelatin and the interim WBO Latino light heavyweight titles. Barrera was ranked by the WBA and the WBC as one of the top 15 light heavyweight contenders early in his career.[2] Barrera trained with Gennady Golovkin's coach, Abel Sanchez.[3] On November 2014, Barrera defeated Rowland Bryant in the undercard of Hopkins-Kovalev.

Barrera vs. Murat

On December 2015, Barrera faced Karo Murat in an IBF eliminator, the winner was to become Sergey Kovalev's mandatory challenger.[4] The IBF had previously ordered Barrera to fight Artur Beterbiev and Igor Mikhalkin but negotiations for both of those bouts fell through.[5][6] Barrera blasted Murat, dropping him in round 4 before stopping him in round 5. Barrera and Kovalev were both signed to Kathy Duva's promotional outfit at the time, Main Events.

Barrera vs. Ward

Barrera next faced former unified super middleweight champion, Andre Ward. Ward was moving up to light heavyweight. The fight took place at Ward's hometown Oracle Arena. En route to a wide unanimous decision victory, Ward dropped Barrera to the canvas in the third round as he turned a left hook while on the ropes. Barrera was also dropped in the eighth round from a body shot, but referee Raul Caiz Sr. saw it as a low blow and as a result deducted a point from Ward. Ward dictated the pace for the vast majority of the bout, showcasing good strength and ring generalship against Barrera. The three judges scored the fight 117-109, 119-109, and 117-108. Ward landed 166 from 463 thrown (36%) whilst Barrera landed 111 of 722 punches thrown (15%). When asked about the potential mega fight against Kovalev, Ward said, "It's never a problem. You look at my track record. I want to fight the best. I've always fought the best. Sergey Kovalev, he's a great champion." For the fight, Ward earned $1.85 million and Barrera earned a $450,000 purse.[7][8][9] The fight averaged 1.064 million viewers and peaked at 1.152 million viewers.[10] After the loss, Barrera parted ways with Abel Sanchez.[3]

Barrera vs. Shabranskyy

Following the loss to Ward, Barrera agreed to fight undefeated contender Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. The fight took place at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California on December 2016. Barrera exploited Shabranskyy's defensive weaknesses to stop Shabrankskyy in the seventh round. Barrera hit the ground running, knocking Shabranskyy down in the first round. The latter would return the favour in round 2, dropping Barrera with a combination of punches following a check left hook. As the rounds progressed, Barrera established his rhythm and started breaking Shabranskyy down. Shabranskyy would go down once again in round 5 after a one-two combo. Round 7 would be the end for Shabranskyy, as he was knocked down with an overhand left. He was able to get up but the referee waived the count.[11][12]

Barrera vs. Smith

On 12 May, deal was in place confirmed for a fight between Barrera and Joe Smith Jr.. Early reports indicated the fight would be part of a HBO triple-header also featuring Miguel Berchelt defending his WBC super featherweight title against mandated Takashi Miura on 15 July 2017 in Inglewood, California.[13] The fight was officially confirmed on 18 May and shown live on HBO: Boxing After Dark.[14] Smith knocked Barrera down in round one with a left hook to the head, but Barrera dominated the rest of the fight and went on to win via unanimous decision (97-92, 97-92, 96-93) after 10 rounds. Smith was beaten to the punch in almost every round, only landing 61 of his 320 punches thrown (19%), whilst Barrera was more accurate in landing 187 of 484 thrown (39%). In round 4, Smith was hit with a clean uppercut and by the end of round 6, his team urged him to go for a knockout. Referee Jack Reiss had the ringside doctor take a look at Smith after the seventh, but the fight continued. Ringtv scored the fight wider 98-91, only giving Smith two rounds.[15][16] There was confusion in Barrera's corner as well as the HBO commentary team in regards to the fight being 10 rounds instead of 12. The referee told both boxers to touch gloves at the start of the 10th round. At first the HBO commentary thought the referee had made a mistake, but were later told, both fighters agreed to the fight being 10 rounds.[17] The fight averaged 617,000 viewers on HBO and peaked at 719,000 viewers.[18]

A few days later, Smith released a statement on social media that he had broken his jaw and believed to have broken it in round two, “Somewhere during the second round I was injured and was in a lot of pain, but I did not want to let it show and I refused to quit.” As the fight went on, he admitted the pain got worse and the fight got tougher.[19] On 20 July Smith had surgery to repair his broken jaw.[20]

Barrera vs. Valera

After Andre Ward retired and vacated his world titles, the WBA elevated interim champion Dmitry Bivol to full champion. He was announced to be fighting Trent Broadhurst, ranked #11 at the time, for its vacant world title. The announcement was met with incredulity by the media, due to many fighters ranked above Broadhurst being available. Barrera also took to Twitter to express his displeasure at being overlooked, as he was ranked #2 at the time.[21] Barrera is scheduled to return on November on the undercard of Kovalev-Shabranskyy.[22] Barrera was reportedly offered to fight Kovalev but he rejected it.[23] ESPN later reported that Barrera would be facing Felix Valera.[24] Kathy Duva, Barrera's promoter, later stated that Barrera would become mandatory challenger to Bivol, after the latter's win over Broadhurst.[25]

Barrera continued his winning streak with a unanimous decision (98-88, 97-90, 97-89) win over Valera. Barrera was dropped for the fourth time in his last five fights halfway through the first round, as Valera dropped him with a left hook. Barrera would return the favour and knock Valera down towards the end of that same round. The remainder of the fight saw Barrera out-box Valera and win most rounds. The fight was characterized by both fighters trading low blows, with Valera being deducted points for constant fouling in rounds 3, 6, and 8, while Barrera lost a point in round 9.[26][27]

Barrera vs Bivol

In his next fight, Barrera fought for a world title for the first time in his career, against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol. Bivol dominated throughout the fight, which culminated in a big right hand to Barrera's temple in the final round that dropped the Cuban boxer. Barrera was determined to beat the count, but the referee saw he was in no condition to do so, and Bivol was awarded the TKO victory, handling Barrera his second career loss, his only loss previously coming against Andre Ward.[28]

Barrera vs Monaghan

Barrera battled Sean Monaghan in his following fight. It was a one-sided victory for the Cuban, who won convincingly on all judges' scorecards, 99-91 twice and 98-92, while also hurting and bloddying Monaghan in the process.[29]

Barrera vs Hart

On 15 June, 2019, Barrera fought Jesse Hart, who had moved up to light heavyweight prior to the fight. The bout was rough with both boxers doing plenty of holding and hitting during breaks. Barrera managed to land clean shots throughout the fight, but Hart, despite his technical flaws, did enough in the eyes of all three judges to win the bout, while also scoring one knockdown in the process. This earned Hart his first victory at light heavyweight, and was Barrera's third career defeat.[30]

Professional boxing record
Professional record summary
25 fights 22 wins 3 losses
By knockout 14 1
By decision 8 2
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
25 Loss 22–3 Jesse Hart UD 10 15 Jun 2019 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US
24 Win 22–2 Sean Monaghan UD 10 3 Nov 2018 Aviator Sports and Events Center, New York City, New York, U.S.
23 Loss 21–2 Dmitry Bivol TKO 12 (12), 1:41 3 Mar 2018 The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. For WBA light heavyweight title
22 Win 21–1 Felix Valera UD 10 25 Nov 2017 The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
21 Win 20–1 Joe Smith Jr. UD 10 15 Jul 2017 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. Won WBC International light heavyweight title
20 Win 19–1 Paul Parker TKO 5 (10), 2:08 15 Apr 2017 Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, U.S.
19 Win 18–1 Vyacheslav Shabranskyy TKO 7 (10), 2:05 16 Dec 2016 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
18 Loss 17–1 Andre Ward UD 12 26 Mar 2016 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, U.S.
17 Win 17–0 Karo Murat KO 5 (12), 0:25 12 Dec 2015 Civic Auditorium, Glendale, California, U.S.
16 Win 16–0 Hakim Zoulikha TKO 8 (10), 1:24 25 Jul 2015 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
15 Win 15–0 Jeff Lacy TKO 4 (8), 2:05 30 Jan 2015 Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S.
14 Win 14–0 Rowland Bryant RTD 4 (8), 3:00 8 Nov 2014 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Eric Watkins TKO 6 (8) 20 Sep 2014 Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Lee Campbell KO 6 (8), 2:42 21 Jun 2014 Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Larry Pryor UD 6 4 Apr 2014 Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Joell Godfrey UD 6 14 Dec 2013 Scala Bay Club, Miami, Florida, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Damar Singleton UD 6 21 Jan 2012 Asylum Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Frank Paines KO 2 (10), 1:16 24 Jun 2011 Dade County Auditorium, Miami, Florida, U.S. Won vacant WBA Fedelatin light heavyweight title and interim WBO Latino light heavyweight title
7 Win 7–0 Epifanio Mendoza UD 4 16 Apr 2011 Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
6 Win 6–0 Willie Herring UD 6 22 Oct 2010 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Tay Bledsoe TKO 1 (4), 1:35 13 Aug 2010 A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 DeLeon Tinsley TKO 2 (6), 1:35 30 Apr 2010 Convention Center, Miami, Florida, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Reggie Pena KO 2 (4), 2:13 12 Mar 2010 War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Alex Rivera KO 1 (4), 1:13 27 Feb 2010 Electricians Union Hall, Miami, Florida, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Anthony Adorno TKO 1 (4), 0:57 21 Aug 2009 Miami Beach Resort & Spa, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.

References
  1. "WHO IS SULLIVAN BARRERA?". boxing360.com. 21 March 2016.
  2. "Ahmet Oner Has Big Hopes For Cuban Pro Sullivan Barrera - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  3. "Sullivan Barrera Parts From Abel Sanchez, Hires New Trainer - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  4. "Barrera-Murat IBF Eliminator Set For 12/12 on HBOL - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  5. "Barrera-Mikhalkin To Be Ordered For IBF Eliminator - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  6. "Beterbiev, Barrera Accept IBF Offer To Begin Negotiations - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  7. Christ, Scott (26 March 2016). "Ward-Barrera: Live RBR Coverage". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  8. "Ward routs Barrera in light heavyweight debut". ESPN.com. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  9. "Andre Ward Drops, Dominates Sullivan Barrera in 175 Debut - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  10. "Ward-Barrera averages 1.064M viewers on HBO » Boxing News". Boxing News 24. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  11. "Barrera knocks out Shabranskyy". badlefthook.com.
  12. "Barrera gets 7th-round knockout of Shabranskyy". espn.com.
  13. "Sullivan Barrera vs. Joe Smith Jr. All But Done for July 15 on HBO - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  14. Boxing, Star. "Joe Smith Jr. v Sullivan Barrera set, July 15 for WBC Int. title". WBN - World Boxing News. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  15. "Sullivan Barrera Gets Off The Floor To Dominate Joe Smith Jr. - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  16. "Sullivan Barrera defeats Joe Smith Jr. by one-sided decision - The Ring". The Ring. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  17. "Barrera Had No Idea Smith Bout Was 10-Rounds Until Ref Said It - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  18. "Berchelt-Miura Peaked at 729K Viewers, Averaged 683K on HBO - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  19. "Joe Smith Jr. suffered broken jaw in defeat to Sullivan Barrera - The Ring". The Ring. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  20. "Joe Smith Jr. has surgery to repair broken jaw". ESPN.com. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  21. "Bivol-Broadhurst, McDonnell-Solis II headline 11/4 Monaco show". badlefthook.com.
  22. "Sullivan Barrera To Return on Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy Card - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  23. "Sullivan Barrera Explains Why He Rejected Sergey Kovalev Fight - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  24. "Barrera-Valera set as part of Nov. tripleheader". espn.com.
  25. "Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera Showdown Already in Play - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com.
  26. "Kovalev vs Shabranskyy results: Sullivan Barrera beats Felix Valera in foul-filled fight". badlefthook.com.
  27. "Barrera outpoints Valera; Gamboa earns win against Sosa". espn.com.
  28. "Dmitry Bivol Drops, Stops Sullivan Barrera in The Twelfth". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  29. "Sullivan Barrera Boxes Past Seanie Monaghan For Decision Win". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  30. Christ, Scott (15 June 2019). "Jesse Hart wins decision over Sullivan Barrera". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
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