HBO broadcast a pair of lopsided bouts Saturday night. In the first, Jermain Taylor proved why many regard him as the best up-and-coming fighter by literally sending Raul Marquez into retirement after Marquez's corner figuratively threw in the towel. Should Bernard Hopkins get by Oscar de la Hoya in September, he might be wise to call it quits before taking on the dangerous Taylor. Bouncing back from his devastating loss at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera handed an aging Paulie Ayala his first professional knockdown, then his second, and then his third--all on bodyshots. Barrera finally scored a stoppage in the featured bout when he belted a vicious tenth-round punch to the undefended midsection of Ayala.

Barrera looked great, and his performance opens up some interesting possibilities. The Mexico City featherweight could move up to 130 pounds and take on his longtime nemesis Erik Morales. Another option has Barrera fighting the winner of Juan Manuel Marquez-Manny Pacquiao II. Regarding a rematch with Pacquiao, Barrera confessed: "I'm that type of Mexican, a hard-headed Mexican. I need a second fight to learn the lesson."