I was tempted to write that Juan Manuel Marquez was going to defeat Marco Antonio Barrera and claim the super featherweight title when they fight tonight at Mandalay Bay.

Tempted.

Marquez is one of boxing's best-kept secrets, despite a long career and a glittering record. He has consistently been either overshadowed by more popular fighters, but it's not a stretch to say he could be 50-0 instead of 46-3-1.

But no matter how much I respect him, I'm going to resist the temptation to pick him, because after all these years I know better than to question Barrera.

And so when the great Mexican champion said he feels as good as he ever has, that's enough for me.

If Barrera were a football player, he would be Tom Brady. I would bet that if you asked each of the 32 NFL coaches who they would want on their side if they had to win a game to save their child's life, most would choose Brady.

Of course, it wasn't always that way. In the 2000 NFL Draft, after scouts had years to dissect his college game film and months to scrutinize every conceivable body part, Brady was chosen in the sixth round by the New England Patriots, 199th overall.

We assume that these guys doing the picking are experts, because they're paid millions of dollars to decipher the game film and the Wonderlic tests and the cone drills and the 40-times, but how expert can you be if you are drafting a quarterback and you choose either Chad Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger or Spergon Wynn before Tom Brady?

That, though, is exactly what happened in 2000 and nary a peep was heard.

I guess it's understandable, since Brady didn't have the arm strength of John Elway or the athleticism of Michael Vick or the sheer overwhelming numbers of Peyton Manning.

All Brady does is win, using whatever resources are available to him.

If you think about it, that's also a pretty apt description of Barrera.

He has 42 knockouts in 67 professional fights, but he never has been a feared puncher like Mike Tyson. He boxed Naseem Hamed into oblivion, but he's not celebrated for that skill like Floyd Mayweather Jr.

He twice has been in the Fight of the Year, but when you think of a brawler these days, Manny Pacquiao's name is the first that jumps to mind.

Barrera is just a low-key guy who pays attention to his job, completely respects his opponent and is so prepared he might become boxing's first Eagle Scout.

Barrera is coming off a clear-cut victory in September over Rocky Juarez, a young, strong and determined challenger. Headlines called the bout a snoozer and dubbed his win lackluster, but Barrera offered no apologies, then or now.

"The goal is to win the fight and keep the (championship)," Barrera said. "That's what I did."

That's the goal tonight, as well. Barrera knows he's near the end of a brilliant 18-year career and has spoken openly of engaging in just a handful more fights.

If he wins tonight, Barrera will chase a rematch with Pacquiao, who beat him in a stunningly one-sided 2003 bout, then probably retire.

As much as Barrera wants Pacquiao -- like many elite athletes, he's a fierce competitor who can't stand to lose at anything -- he has not thought ahead to even consider a strategy for that fight.

He's too consumed by Marquez to do that. If anyone can respect an underappreciated and wonderfully gifted fighter such as Marquez, it's Barrera, himself a guy who is supremely gifted but largely underappreciated.

This is the kind of a situation where you can expect a Brady-esque performance from Barrera. There are many who suspect he has hit the end of the line, that his performance against Juarez was a none-too-subtle indication that the 18 years and 67 fights and thousands of rounds in the gym have finally caught up to him.

If it has, Marquez will prove that tonight, because if he isn't one of the world's 10 best fighters, he's at least in the top 15. Barrera is a cinch for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, but Marquez, with a couple of more big wins, is good enough to earn himself a bust there as well.

Seven years, three Super Bowls, four Pro Bowls and an NFL record postseason winning streak later, we no longer doubt Brady.

Nor should we doubt Barrera.

So despite my temptation to choose Marquez, I'll take Barrera by decision in what figures to be a fascinating fight.

Kevin Iole's boxing column is published Saturday. He can be reached at 396-4428 or kiole@reviewjournal.com.