BARRERA: A FAN'S FIGHTER.

Byline: Michael Rosentahll

From a fan's point of view, Marco Antonio Barrera is the perfect fighter.

He's only 22, he's in supreme condition, he throws a tremendous number of ill-intended punches, he takes a good shot and he has the ferocity of a young Julio Cesar Chavez, Barrera's countryman and hero.

And, as important as anything, he can't - or won't - fight defensively. Yes, Barrera can be hit, which means he can be hurt, which means one way or another not many of his fights are going the distance.

Barrera, who defends his WBO junior featherweight title against Jesse Benavides Saturday at the Anaheim Arena, was on glorious display against Kennedy McKinney in February.

On that memorable night at the Forum, Barrera gave and took and gave and took and gave and gave and gave. When it was over, McKinney had been down five times, Barrera once and Barrera had won a unanimous decision. The spectators, who had yelled themselves silly, were as exhausted as the fighters.

While it was a big step, Barrera didn't prove he was a great fighter that night.

A lot of people believed McKinney was beginning to decline, that age, earlier drug abuse and a lot of tough fights had taken their toll on the former Olympic gold medalist. If so, then Barrera didn't beat the best.

Of course, Barrera is good - very good. He doesn't have one-punch knockout power and great fighters aren't supposed to get hit as much as he does. Still, he's a fine, courageous boxer whose greatness has yet to be determined. Ultimately, a matchup with Naseem Hamed will tell us a great deal.

What isn't in doubt is Barrera's entertainment value. He doesn't run around, he doesn't dance, he doesn't bob and weave. He fights, which is what most fans want to see. He's willing to absorb some pain in order to dish out more of the nasty stuff than his opponents can take.

And don't think Barrera's ability to generate excitement is lost on him.

``I cannot describe my style,'' he said. ``All I do is go into the ring thinking that in this fight I have to please the public.''

The result is a McKinney fight - a lot of skill, a lot of guts, a lot of action, the kind of fight everyone loves but Mexican fans demand of their fighters.

Ironically, Barrera, promoted by Forum Boxing, has fought his biggest fights in the Los Angeles area. Of his 40 bouts, 10 have taken place here, all but one at the Forum. He hasn't fought in Mexico since 1993.

Still, he reportedly is developing a considerable following in his home country as he climbs the ranks of the best fighters in the world and continues to please the public.

How does he stack up against Chavez and other top Mexican fighters?

Barrera is almost embarrassed at comparisons with Chavez, saying without hesitation, ``To me the best pound-for-pound has been and still is Julio Cesar Chavez.''

Most don't even consider Chavez the best in Mexico any longer. That distinction might belong to strawweight sensation Ricardo Lopez - with Barrera not far behind.

Back in the ring: Rafael Ruelas, trying to resurrect his career after consecutive losses to Oscar De La Hoya and George Scott, faces light-punching, but skilled Texan Tomas Barrientes (18-2, 10 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout in San Antonio.

Ruelas (43-3, 34 KOs) pulled out of a fight against Anthony Johnson last month because of a hand injury but has recovered. He will be fighting at 140 pounds for the first time.

Gabriel Ruelas had been scheduled to face Barrientes on the card but was unable to fight because of a broken finger.

Barrientes, very popular in San Antonio, has fought most of his career at 130 pounds but weighed 137 in has most recent a fight, a first-round knockout of Juan Aldape. He has won 14 consecutive fights.

Also on the card, which will be televised on USA, slugger Johnny Tapia faces Ramon Gonzalez in a 10-round junior bantamweight fight.

On the mend: IBF super middleweight champion Roy Jones Jr. had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on an outpatient basis last week in Pensacola, Fla.

Jones, who expects to be riding a bicycle as early as this week, has suffered chronic knee trouble the past few years, which has hampered his ability to run.

He is scheduled to defend his title against Canadian light heavyweight champion Eric Lucas on June 15.

Looking forward: The May 10 heavyweight showcase at Madison Square Garden, to be televised on HBO, should be entertaining.

The matchups: Evander Holyfield-Bobby Czyz, Lennox Lewis-Ray Mercer and Tim Witherspoon-Jorge Luis Gonzalez.

The first two fights might seem as if they're mismatches. Are they?

Holyfield petered out against Riddick Bowe. Is he old? Is his heart giving way? Or is Czyz in for a severe beating?

Lewis is a big favorite over Mercer. This isn't a gimme, however, especially if Mercer is in good shape. Lewis has the skill but Mercer has a great chin and a very hard punch.

In the third fight, Witherspoon, even at 38, should give Gonzalez a boxing lesson.

Predictions: Holyfield KO 5; Lewis dec.; Witherspoon dec.

MEMO: Staff Writer Michael Rosenthal's boxing column appears Mondays in the Daily News.

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