JORGE BARRIOS

updated July 18, 2008

Already a national hero in his native Argentina, former WBO super featherweight champion Jorge Rodrigo Barrios has his sights set on becoming an international superstar, and he's well on his way to that goal after stirring performances on national television in the United States over the last four years.

But the saga of the 30-year-old world champion begins far away from the bright television lights of the US. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, where he still makes his home, Jorge Barrios began boxing at the age of 14. A quick study in the hardest game, Barrios had a standout amateur career and qualified for the 1996 Argentinean Olympic team, but he instead decided to turn pro to help support his family.

Barrios made his pro debut on August 10, 1996, with a second round knockout of Hector Hugo Martinez, and in his first two years in the punch for pay ranks, Barrios fought often, much to the delight of a growing number of local fans.

In 96-97, Barrios fought 15 times, winning all but one bout (his lone loss was via disqualification to Cesar Emilio Domine -- a loss avenged via KO in his next bout), with 13 of those wins coming by knockout.

A wild swinging puncher with awesome power and a rock-hard chin, Barrios continued to roar through South American competition over the next three years, going 17-0 with 13 KOs along the way. Included in that sizzling hot streak were wins over Walter Hugo Rodriguez (TKO 2) and Silvano Usini (TKO 8) that earned 'La Hiena' the South American and WBU super featherweight crowns, respectively.

2001 saw Barrios only fight twice, but in 2002 he picked up his torrid pace again, going 5-0-1 in six bouts, with the only blemish being a ten round draw with Ricardo Silva that saw Barrios hit the canvas in the final frame.

Two more knockout wins kicked off 2003, and at this point the 39-1-1 Barrios couldn't be avoided by any world champions any longer, so on August 9, 2003, unbeaten Brazilian superstar Acelino Freitas gave Barrios his long awaited shot at the world title.

And even though US fans had never seen him fight before, once the bell rang at the Miami Arena that night, they got to finally see what all the fuss was about. Each round the two warriors battled it out fiercely, with blood and sweat flying all around the ring. Barrios put Freitas on the canvas in rounds eight and 11, and Freitas returned the favor in rounds 11 and 12. The 12th round knockdown by Freitas proved to be the decisive one, as referee Jorge Alonso stopped the war in the champion's favor at the 50 second mark of the round. At the time of the stoppage, Barrios led on one scorecard and was even on another, and the bout was voted Fight of the Year by many media outlets.

But even in defeat, Barrios gained an enormous amount of fans eager to see him fight again, and after three victories back in his native Argentina, 'La Hiena' returned to the US in April of 2005 to face unbeaten WBO champion Mike Anchondo. Before a national television audience on ESPN and hordes of Argentinean fans in Miami, Barrios didn't leave any doubts as he tore through Anchondo in four rounds en route to a TKO victory and the WBO super featherweight championship.

Barrios returned home to a hero's welcome shortly after the bout, and in thanks he treated his home fans to a second round TKO victory in his first title defense over Victor Santiago in Cordoba, Argentina on August 12, 2005, and followed that win up with a non-title decision win over Nazareno Ruiz four months later.

In his second defense, on May 20, 2006, Barrios came back to US shores, but he wasn't here long as he scored a devastating one punch knockout over previously unbeaten Janos Nagy that took just 49 seconds.

Barrios would lose his belt to Joan Guzman on September 16, 2006 via a hard fought 12 round split decision, but after a third round knockout of Decho Bankluaygym for the WBA intercontinental super featherweight title on April 21, 2007, 'La Hiena' is well on his way to re-establishing himself as one of boxing's premier fighters, pound for pound.