Most of the best boxing action of the last half dozen years or so has taken place in two distinct weight ranges: welterweight-junior middle range (147-154 pounds) and the junior feather-feather range (122-126).

Boxing people often refer to the welter-junior middle neighborhood as the best in boxing, but the junior feather-feather range has been every bit as good. And just as we brace for De La Hoya-Vargas at 154, there is news of two potential matchups at 126 that get our hearts racing: feather champ Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Johnny Tapia and junior feather champ Paulie Ayala (who would move up to feather) vs. Eric Morales.

The first reaction most boxing fans will have for these matchups is that they fall short of superfight status. Because in both cases there are clearcut favorites. The feeling is Barrera will be too much for Tapia and ditto for Morales vs. Ayala. The underdog's chances in these fights, however, should not be underestimated.

Barrera has grown increasingly fond of counterpunching in recent fights. He outboxed Naseem Hamed and was then promptly a little too conscious of counterpunching in the rematch with Morales. Tapia has faster hands than Barrera, and has the ability to box with just about anyone. Should Barrera attempt to outbox Tapia the match could turn into another Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvin Hagler fight, with Tapia playing Leonard.

Of course Barrera has been counterpunching in his last two fights, partly because his last two opponents have been serious power threats. Tapia is a solid puncher, but not a devastating one. And therefore Barrera might elect to really go after him. And Barrera ain't Danny Romero. Tapia outboxed his archrival Romero in their grudge fight years ago, but in the end the fight in rounds was 7-5, maybe 8-4. An aggressive Barrera figures to win at the very least a round or two more than an aggressive Romero did.

Most boxing people feel that Eric Morales beat Barrera in their rematch, just as most feel Barrera had won their first fight. Since this is boxing we are talking about here, it is no wonder Morales got the decision in the first go around and Barrera got the nod in the rematch. The point is Morales has proven himself more or less Barrera's equal. Barrera usually ranks in the top 5 on pound for pound lists, while Morales is often nowhere to be seen in the top 10. But when we think of Morales we should picture an upper-echelon elite fighter.

Paulie Ayala, like Morales until the Barrera rematch, is always on the winning end of close decisions. Many attribute this to the fact Ayala, like Morales is promoted by the second-most powerful promoter in boxing, Bob Arum (who ranks only behind Don King on the American promoter totem pole). If it is true that Arum's influence is partly responsible for Ayala's undefeated record, then being promoted by Arum makes Ayala even more difficult to beat than he already is. And that's pretty difficult.

And it is not like Ayala is easy to beat by himself. He is always in top shape, he has excellent boxing skills, has shown the ability to adapt both in midfight and from one fight to the next, and has all the heart and will to win in the world.

And he will need to bring all these attributes to the ring with him against Morales, because as a fellow Arum meal ticket Morales would appear to negate any scorecard leniency Ayala might have experienced in the past.

To the fight itself: Morales is bigger and a much better puncher and would seem to have Ayala outgunned. Of all the fighters in boxing who you must allow the greatest chance based on conditioning, heart and will to win - the quote intangibles - it is Ayala. It is not impossible to imagine Ayala getting inside Morales' long reach and working him, or Ayala moving well enough to offset Morales with lateral movement. Maybe Ayala will do both. If he does beat Morales, with wins over Tapia and Bones Adams already under his belt, it will be difficult to keep Ayala out of the hall of fame when his time comes.

My picks: Barrera and Morales both on points.

Oh yeah, David Tua vs. Michael Moorer this upcoming Saturday night. This one is easy. However he may be doing the moment the end comes - and he may well be ahead on points - Moorer will eventually be caught and stopped by a Tua hook. Moorer has always been a supremely skilled heavyweight. But his weaknesses - a somewhat fragile chin and sometime wandering focus - play right into Tua's hands. Especially his left one.

Max Kellerman is a studio analyst for ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.