JUAREZ IS READY FOR BARRERA.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Marco Antonio Barrera. That name alone has been enough to scare prizefighters toiling from 122 to 130 pounds the past several years.

Not Rocky Juarez. He is the young fellow from Houston who represented the U.S. in the 2000Olympics, losing a controversial decision in the gold-medal bout at 125pounds. He has been on the big stage before, so challenging Barrera for his World Boxing Council super featherweight championship Saturday at Staples Center puts no fear into the heart of this Texan.

``I have never doubted my talent, my potential and my heart, stepping into the ring against any fighter,'' Juarez said.

Barrera is not just any fighter.

He is one of the greatest fighters ever from Mexico. And even though Juarez has a solid record of 25-1 with 18knockouts, he has not faced anyone near the caliber of Barrera, who is 61-4 with 42 knockouts and has won world championships in threeweight classes.

Juarez also will be moving up to the 130-pound super featherweight division. He has fought a few fights at 127-129 pounds, but mostly has competed in the 126-pound featherweight division. Juarez is ranked No. 5 by the WBC in the featherweight division.

Juarez laughs at the notion he is biting off more than he can chew.

``Since I was 17 going on 18, I have been at (featherweight),'' said Juarez, 26, who turned pro three months shy of his 21st birthday. ``So, moving up to 130 pounds, I feel like I'm going to be more comfortable.''

It's only a four-pound jump from featherweight to super featherweight, and Juarez said he has put the weight on well.

``We definitely are doing something we didn't do in any of my other fights, and that was get a strength and conditioning coach,'' Juarez said. ``We've been doing a lot of swimming, doing different things that we feel are going to benefit me for this fight.''

Juarez said he also will benefit from the knowledge that it doesn't get any bigger than fighting Barrera.

``Physically and mentally, the way we are preparing for this fight, I feel good. ... I got this good feeling in me,'' Juarez said. ``There are no butterflies. There is that feeling before I go to bed every once in a while, you know, who I'm fighting, but that's the excitement.''

--Saturday's undercard: Jorge Barrios of Argentina will defend his World Boxing Organization junior lightweight (130 pounds) belt against Janos Nagy of Hungary in one of two main undercard bouts Saturday. Chikashi Inada of Japan will fight Jose Santa Cruz of LosAngeles for the WBC interim lightweight championship.

--Hatton-Collazo: Ricky Hatton was not bad Saturday, but he didn't exactly make those who chose him as 2005 Fighter of the Year look like geniuses, either.

Hatton moved up in weight and won the World Boxing Association welterweight championship with a narrow decision over Luis Collazo.

Whereas Hatton overpowered Kostya Tszyu in June to win via 11th-round technical knockout, he did not appear to be such a brute against Collazo.

Perhaps Hatton would be better served moving back down to junior welterweight.

Collazo entered the fight with only 12 knockouts in 27fights, yet Hatton's face was bruised after 12rounds.

The only reason Hatton would stay at welterweight (147 pounds) is because that is where Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Antonio Margarito, two of the other champions, reside.

There has also been talk of a Hatton-De La Hoya fight, which would probably be at 150 pounds.

Yes, this is where the money is. But at what price fame? Or, the attempt at fame, because Hatton isn't big enough to beat any of the three.

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