"Barret" Balderas wins by knockout in Pátzcuaro and remains undefeated

By Eugenio Amézquita Velasco

Translation: Metro News Mx

-Alan Balderas maintains his undefeated streak after a devastating third-round knockout.

-The fighter from Acámbaro balances his medical career with elite-level punching power.

-Experts point out his commercial and technical style, though they warn about his taunting.

The ring was dressed in finery to welcome one of the most unique prospects in current Mexican boxing: Alan "El Barret" Balderas. Hailing from Acámbaro, Guanajuato, this young man stands out not only for his fists of steel but for the discipline granted by his training as a physician—a duality highlighted by commentators Juan Obregón, Checo Betancourt, and the great Octavio Meirán since his walk to the ring, where he stopped the scales at the 55-kilogram limit for a bout set on the super bantamweight border.

As always, accompanying him and teaming up with "El Barret" were Jhonatan Lemus, his physiotherapist; Víctor Alegre, his cutman; Brandon Medina, the nutritionist; and Aurelio “Rocha” Medina, in corner duties and hand wrapping.

From the first round, Balderas showed a style that breaks the traditional Mexican fighter mold. Far from entering a head-on and excessive exchange, Alan used his intelligence to read Emiliano Hernández. Octavio Meirán noted his impeccable head movement and a left hand straight punch thrown from the waist with astonishing speed, which began to wither his opponent’s guard.

Balderas walked the ring with elegance, proving that his new 7-0 record with 6 knockouts is no coincidence, but the result of the power Obregón described as "having two stones in each hand."

The fight, originally scheduled for November 7, was postponed due to various situations in Michoacán and was held this Friday, December 19, in Pátzcuaro.

The second episode marked the beginning of the end for Hernández. "Doctor Barret" stepped on the gas, connecting with flurries that put his opponent on the edge of the abyss. It was during this period that controversy arose: Balderas, confident in his superiority, engaged in taunting by dropping his guard and placing his hands behind his back—gestures Meirán described as a lack of respect and a symptom of "knockout syndrome," while Betancourt defined them as unnecessary "marrullerías" (dirty tricks/shams) for a fighter of his technical level.

However, the conclusion was an ode to surgical precision. In the third round, Balderas stopped humoring his rival and tested fierce uppercuts that shook Hernández's frame. The crowning moment came after a masterly combination that culminated in a devastating hook to the liver. Emiliano Hernández fell to the canvas, never to rise again. Referee Francisco Canseco witnessed the might of a "Barret" who, after the knockout, posed with rockstar charisma for the cameras, confirming he is a rising star.

After the bout, "Barret" clarified that his gestures are part of the show the audience deserves and reaffirmed his commitment to boxing: as soon as he finishes his medical degree, he will dedicate himself fully to this sport. With his sights set on the super bantamweight division and under the guidance of a world-class trainer, Alan Balderas emerges as a thinking, technical, and lethal boxer who, according to analysts, must soon face "long-clawed tigers" to prove his true ceiling in professionalism.

The fight play-by-play and interview with "El Barret" Balderas

Juan Obregón:

There are many more people connected than those giving us a like. Let's go with the announcement of the next fight because "Barret" Balderas is coming. A total rockstar, Alan Balderas. Namesake, they call him "Barret," that’s how people here know him. Don't lose sight of him, as the Doctor, the late Alfonso Morales, would say—speaking of people already in the great beyond, you mentioned Javier Sagú, Mister, a tremendous narrator.

Announcer:

In the corner wearing white, weighing in at the limit of fifty-five kilograms, from Acámbaro, Guanajuato, he has a professional record, his name is Alan "Barret" Balderas.

Juan Obregón:

There is "Barret," a doctor by profession, my Juan. I’m going to keep saying that I’ll christen him as "Doctor Barret"; that’s how I’ll introduce him even if he gets mad at me. I’m going to interview him during the week and tell him that to me, he is "Doctor Barret." He heard me, that’s why he just smiled at the cameras, because he heard me say the "Doctor Barret" thing. Tell him I send a big hello, a great guy. Emiliano Hernández—I heard Juan say "super middleweight" for the fight, but not at all; for me, it’s a non-title bout at fifty-five kilograms, as Checo Betancourt, the judge from the north, was saying, it’s between super bantamweight and featherweight.

Checo Betancourt:

Exactly, leaning more towards the bottom, meaning towards super bantamweight. And may the best man win.

Juan Obregón:

Emilio Hernández—and there is Francisco Canseco, the third man in the ring. The reference Emiliano Hernández with black trunks and red trim, and his opponent Alan Balderas with white trunks with fringe that look very elegant. The fight begins, which Juan Obregón will narrate for all of you. Juanito Hernández already clarified to me that he said super bantamweight, not super middleweight. I was hallucinating, thinking "how could it be super middleweight?", that’s already Canelo’s division. There is "Barret," white trunks with plenty of advertising and so on.

Octavio Meirán:

He has a great style. Look at how he bobs and weaves; he has a "tester" in front of him who was tenuously stroking him with the jab, and "Barret" starts working him by alternating his jabs, trying to distract his guard, forcing the rival to drop it with jabs precisely to the pit of the stomach.

Juan Obregón:

Yes, they are in the center of the ring, "Barret" walking backward very elegantly, walking to the sides. He has a good style, a commercial style, and besides, he has power in his fists; he’s 6-0 with five knockouts, so he has heavy little hands—he’s got two stones in each hand. Let's see how he develops this fight. Go ahead, Juan.

Checo Betancourt:

Yes, he’s letting him breathe, Checo, you who already know "Barret"—or "Doctor Barret" as you like to call him. Because it’s not very common, and honestly, it’s a pleasure to also have boxers with professional degrees. He’s sizing up the rival; you can tell from miles away that this guy just came to see how long he can last against "Barret" Balderas. Taking things very calmly, "Barret," knowing he is superior, knowing that at any moment he can land a "piña" (punch). We know about the punching power of "Doctor Barret," we know the punching power of this fighter who I feel—and I said it in the last broadcast—his greatest virtue is his intelligence and his way of reading the opponent.

Octavio Meirán:

Well, I’m going to intervene in this case. The jab that "Barret" throws isn’t a jab; it’s a left-hand straight punch that hurts. Those he throws with speed, coming out from waist height and impacting his opponent. Very good style, and so far he’s going "pian pianito" (bit by bit), looking for the opportunity to see what mistake his opponent makes.

Checo Betancourt:

He is very different from any Mexican boxer. He isn’t the classic "Aztec" fighter, the style of "Barret" Balderas. He isn't the classic fighter from our country who goes out in the first round to give it everything, who doesn't know about feel-out rounds, who doesn't know about waiting to see what the rival brings. He is very thoughtful; he has many pauses in his boxing, and when it’s time to attack and knockout and hit the rival, he also has that shark facet that reads the opponent, sees blood, and doesn't let the rival live.

Checo Betancourt:

Now "Doctor Barret"—we are seeing here, I don’t know if the people are hearing me—well, "Doctor Barret" has already started to step on the gas. We saw that this round was a complete round for "Barret"; I don't even know how his rival didn't go down knocked out.

Octavio Meirán:

Well, he’s on the verge in this episode, in the second episode, because he’s already stepping on the gas. Hernández has inexplicably endured him, even though he has been battered by some punches there because he (Barret) humored him; because the moment they separated and went to the center of the ring, "Barret" let loose throwing punches again, and now he’s doing the kind of things that I personally don’t like because it shows a self-sufficiency that shouldn’t exist within professional sport. It can even be taken as a lack of respect for the rival.

Checo Betancourt:

Dropping your hands, showing him your face as if to see if he lands a blow thrown by the rival. If someone asked me to say something negative about "Barret," I think it would be that. There’s no point in doing these kinds of "marrullerías" which in the end I feel are a lack of respect. Let's see the third round—sorry, this second round—we are having technical problems, we ask the people to have a little patience, but well, a hellish second round for this kid Emilio Hernández. They gave it to him "hasta para llevar" (more than he could handle); I think he should have brought a Tupperware because they gave him enough to take home in this second round.

Juan Obregón:

It’s already the third round, please excuse some inconveniences we’ve had in the broadcast. "Barret" was humoring the rival too much; he remembered this is a four-round fight and he’s already testing those uppers, Checo Betancourt, and he’s bringing out that "Doctor Barret" side we know.

Checo Betancourt:

He has already started giving us that style we like and that has brought him into the people’s favor. A kid who, well, also has a lot of "angel" (charisma). Those uppers are fierce; he pulls them from under the earth. Hernández doesn't expect them, and there he is combining them with body shots. For me, it’s just a matter of time, Juanito.

Juan Obregón:

Beautiful combination and a hook to the liver, and Emiliano went down to the canvas. He’s not getting up anymore; "Barret" heard us and wow, I don't think he gets up from this hook. "Barret" looks at him out of the corner of his eye.

Octavio Meirán:

In this case, as I see this fighter being so self-sufficient, I didn't like his display of putting his arms behind his back challenging his opponent. When a fighter is so sufficient, who has that power in his fists, who moves like he moves, it doesn't seem fair to his opponent for him to put on that kind of exhibition. Let him not fall into that situation of feeling like a "super-knockouter"—the "knockout syndrome" as I call it—where he stops learning and then when they put him against the "long-clawed tigers," he won't know what to do.

Checo Betancourt:

Totally, maybe it can be taken as a lack of respect and he doesn't need to do it. He doesn't need to do those kinds of "faramallas" (antics). A kid with a lot of technique, a lot of power, a lot of boxing. Juan Obregón already said it, he hasn't been taken into deep waters; his limits aren't truly known yet. He already has a world-class trainer and we’ll see, I think he needs to make the jump to the next stage of his career, which is having better opponents.

Checo Betancourt:

They are going to give the result there. This kid Víctor Contreras knows he (Barret) was superior; he knows that if he got up, he was going to get up to receive more punishment from "Doctor Barret," and it’s natural that sometimes the fighter decides not to stand up anymore. He knows what follows is more punishment. I feel that was the decision Víctor Contreras made upon knowing he was so inferior to an Alan Noé Balderas. There he is posing for the cameras, that’s for sure, he’s a total rockstar, he loves the "farándula" (showbiz), he loves to show off in a good way, he loves the cameras, talking, posing, and I feel he is a star in the making.

Juan Obregón:

We hear you perfectly—that he likes the showbiz, he likes the cameras, everything you were saying, Checo. Let's go to you so you can tell us about current boxing news. Don't go away, people, stay with us. I liked him a lot; "Barret" Balderas is a man with a lot of technique. I see him alongside great champions. I think he will move up to super bantamweight; that’s where he’ll be moving.

The interview with Alan "El Barret" Balderas: 7-0 Record

Juan Obregón:

"Barret," first of all, congratulations. We felt that you humored the rival for a while as if you knew he was a rival who isn't yet at your boxing stature. Suddenly we saw one or two displays of being a bit "sobradón" (overconfident), but it’s part of your mystique; what experience do you take away from this fight?