Chocolatito sparring partner Daniel Barrera seeks to make his own name
Daniel Barrera does not fight like a 22-year-old flyweight prospect.
Sparring the likes of Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez has forced him to learn more quickly on the job.
Barrera is eager to prove he is a legit prospect as he faces Jonathan Almacen of the Philippines Friday night at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. The six-round bout will be part of the 360 Boxing Promotions card, headlined by the welterweight clash between Gor Yeritsyan and Quinton Randall (UFC Fight Pass, 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT).
In his last bout on August 26, Barrera (4-0-1, 3 knockouts), who resides in Upland, California, defeated gatekeeper Gilberto Mendoza by unanimous decision.
Barrera will face an opponent in Almacen (7-9-3, 2 KOs), who has lost his last four bouts and is winless in his last seven. Barrera has faced opponents with different styles, and is not overwhelmed by opposition based on the different sparring he has faced, including Gonzalez, a future Hall of Famer.
“There are different preparations for each fight,” Barrera told The Ring Monday. “In my last fight, we focused more on boxing and outboxing my opponent because of his aggressive style. For this fight, we continued to work on boxing, but also sitting down on my punches. We have to change styles for each fight, but the intensity remains the same in each training camp.
“I’ve sparred ‘Chocolatito’ at an early age. Recently, I’ve sparred (fringe flyweight contender) Fernando Diaz, (flyweight contender) Ricardo Sandoval. In November, I got some sparring against Rocco Santomauro. They each have their own style and I appreciate the work I got with them. It’s made me a better fighter.”
Barrera is promoted by Tom Loeffler, who is best known for recently promoting the likes of two-time world middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin and world heavyweight titleholders Vitaly and Wladimir Klitschko.
Loeffler has recently promoted the likes of legit prospects Omar Trinidad, an unbeaten featherweight, junior welterweight Cain Sandoval, and fringe welterweight contender Gor Yeritsyan, amongst others.
Barrera is excited to see what the future awaits. As long as he continues, Barrera envisions being in the same position as Trinidad, Sandoval, and Yeritsyan as a top prospect in the flyweight division.
“It’s very exciting,” said Barrera, an amateur standout who made his pro debut in July 2022. “I hope to be in the same position next year. I hope to be 14-0 or 15-0, with the opportunity to fight the contenders in the division. At this point in my career, I’m staying hungry. Having a promoter like Tom and seeing top prospects Tom promotes makes you continue loving the sport that much more.
“I have a lot of motivation and it’s a great feeling knowing my success, through hard work, will get me to that point.”
Barrera’s fights have streamed live on UFC Fight Pass, which has an exclusive deal streaming fight cards promoted by Loeffler. Barrera is grateful to fight on this platform, which allows him to showcase his skill set and make new fans in the process.
“It’s exciting knowing this platform exists for me,” said Barrera. “I’ve learned to put on a great performance, whether my fights are on UFC Fight Pass or not. I do get a little nervous, but as long as I perform well, I’ll be okay.
“I’m grateful to have fans see my ability and what I can do in the ring. It’s one of the best feelings in my career. Maybe I can be in the main event. I hope that happens. I just have to stay focused, stay hungry and stay determined.”
Barrera is trained by Al Franco, who was once based out of the Inland Empire of Southern California and resides in Arizona. Franco was the father of Daniel and Michael Franco, one-time prospects in their respective weight classes.
Barrera is appreciative and grateful to have Franco in his corner, and believes he will continue to grow under his tutelage.
“I’ve been with Coach Al since I was a kid. He’s been there for me, inside and out the gym. We’ve formed a tight bond since then. As a fighter, he knows me more than I know myself as a fighter. He notices my ticks in the ring. He can tell when I’m overthinking or thinking too much.
“In the draw I had (against Isaac Anguiano in November 2022), he told me I was overthinking in the ring. And he was right. He told me to just flow. We have a great bond. I trust him with all the instructions he gives me.
“I don’t have one regret. I’m blessed to have him in my life.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com
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