Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera is widely considered to be one of the best fighters of his generation.

Known as the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’, Barrera took the sport by storm during the height of his career which culminated in him winning world titles in three weight classes.

The majority of Barrera’s success came during the early 2000s where he produced statement victories over the likes of Kevin Kelley, Prince Naseem Hamed and countryman Erik Morales.

His legendary rivalry with Morales is often regarded as being one of the greatest in modern boxing history, providing boxing fans with several memorable encounters between the highly-rated Mexican duo.

In a feature with The Ring Magazine, Barrera reflected on his 2001 showdown with Naseem Hamed as he claims the British great was the smartest fighter he faced during his decorated career.

“He stands out because he would bring a different approach from the rest. He would play mind games with me, he would tease me, and when I thought I had him, he would back up and move in different ways. It was more him getting in my head than anything. He would play with me.”

Barrera handed Hamed the only defeat of his career when they locked horns in Las Vegas back in April of 2001, defeating ‘Prince’ via unanimous decision in what was a dominant performance by the Mexican star.

Hamed would have just one more professional bout before announcing his retirement from the sport in 2002, walking away from boxing at just 28-years-old in a decision that caught many fans by surprise.