Sullivan Barrera wants to retire Sean Monaghan

Boxingnews24.com

By Allan Fox: Sullivan Barrera (21-2, 14 KOs) has a mission to try and send 37-year-old Sean Monaghan (29-1, 17 KOs) into retirement this Saturday night when they face each other on Golden Boy Fight Night Facebook Watch at the Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York.

Barrera, 35, may not accomplish his goal of retiring Monaghan, but he has a very good chance of bouncing back from his 12th round knockout loss to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, who stopped him last March on HBO World Championship Boxing at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“I feel good, I feel great. Ready to retire him,” Barrera said. “I’m going to bring it, and someday become the number one light heavyweight in the world.”

Barrera needs to lower his ambitions a little and focus more on just trying to get another world title shot. It’s pointless for Barrera to think about becoming the best fighter at 175, because there are too many more talented fighters than him in that weight class. What is a more attainable goal for the former Cuban amateur star Barrera is to get a second world title shot, preferably against someone not named Dmitry Bivol. Barrera was out of his class in his fight against Bivol.

Barrera is ranked #4 WBA and #13 WBC. It would seem that his best chance of getting another title shot will be against Barrera unless one of the champions gives him a voluntary title shot. While you can’t rule that out entirely, it’s not likely without Barrera getting two of three good wins under his belt. Unfortunately for Barrera, his opponent for this Saturday night isn’t a good enough fighter to give him much of a push up the rankings if he beats him.

I’ve put in a lot of work, and I’m going to be the better man,” Barrera said.

Monaghan was knocked out in the 2nd round last year in July by unbeaten Marcus Browne. That fight was the only one in Monaghan’s eight-year pro career in which he fought a world class opponent, and he simply wasn’t prepared. Before facing Browne, Monaghan had beaten the likes of Donovan George, Janne Forsmanm Fulgencio Zuniga and Cleiton Conceicao. MOnaghan was simply not prepared to be inside the ring with Browne. We’ll likely see the same situation on Saturday night when Monagahan faces Barrera. Monaghan won his last fight in beating Evert Bravo by an eight round unanimous decision last November. Monaghan has been inactive for the last 12 months. That’s not good for him to be coming into Saturday’s fight against a fighter as talented as Barrera.

“It’s going to be a tough one, man, but I’m ready for it,” Monagahan said. “I’m ready for it. Barrera is what I call a deep-water shark. He’s been in deep before, he’s dangerous the whole time.”

It would be easier to give Monaghan a chance against Barrera if he wasn’t coming off of a 12 month layoff, and if he’d beaten a quality fighter in his last fight.