Barrera is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the WBO super bantamweight title three times from 1995 to 2001; the WBC super featherweight title from 2004 to 2007; and the IBF super featherweight title from 2005 to 2006. Additionally, he held the IBO featherweight title in 2001; the lineal featherweight title from 2001 to 2003; and the Ring magazine featherweight title from 2002 to 2003. Barrera is well known for his trilogy with fellow Mexican legend Erik Morales, as well as his duology with Manny Pacquiao, and rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez. ESPN ranked Barrera as number 43 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time. Barrera was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.