LAS VEGAS -- Ever since Salvador Sanchez dominated the featherweight division at the start of the 1980s, Mexican fight fans have yearned for another great 126-pound champion to represent their country's proud boxing tradition.

Almost 20 years after Sanchez's untimely death, Mexico has a new, universally recognized featherweight champ in Marco Antonio Barrera, who scored a competitive unanimous decision over countryman Erik Morales before a wildly enthusiastic crowd of 12,709 at the MGM Grand's Garden Arena.

Chuck Giampa scored the bout 116-112, while Mike Glienna and Duane Ford tabbed it 115-113 for Barrera.

However, boxing does not have an heir to the late, great Sanchez, who had no peer during his short-but-amazing two-year reign from 1980 to '82. Barrera, who improved to 55-3, definitely has a worthy peer in Morales, who suffered his first loss in 42 fights. The humble Morales, a Tijuana native, is almost as good as his proud Mexico City rival, if not his equal.

Their first fight was a controversial split-decision win for Morales that most people thought Barrera won at least seven rounds. Barrera won Saturday's somewhat tactical battle, but many in attendance and watching on HBO pay-per-view's telecast believed Morales won seven of the 12.

The bottom line is that it was close. CompuBox punch stats revealed that both men connected on 34 percent of their total punches (Barrera landed 207 of 607 punches thrown, while Morales found the mark with 205 of the 599 shots he threw).

Barrera, whose sharp jabbed cut and swelled Morales' right eye, edged his rival in that department (landing 32 to 26 percent). Morales, who was the aggressor throughout most of the bout, got the better of Barrera in power punches (landing 40 to 36 percent of his hooks, crosses and body shots).

So let the onslaught of emails of outrage begin.

Some will say it was justified. Others will scream foul play. Some will say it was payback. The truth, boxing fans, is when you put two legitimate champions in the ring together, people are going to get a close fight (Paulie Ayala-Johnny Tapia I & II, Ayala-Bones Adams I and Acelino Freitas-Joel Casamayor are recent examples).

Stop screaming bloody murder and get used to it, folks, or stop asking promoters and networks to pit the best of the best against each other.

Bob Arum, Morales' promoter, is certainly through putting these two fighters in the ring. Top Rank's boss was perplexed by the officiating, as were many of the home viewers, believing that Morales was cheated out of a knockdown in the seventh round. Most of the live crowd thought Barrera was put down by a body shot. Referee Jay Nady ruled it a slip (and HBO camera crew members said they caught Morales stepping on Barrera's foot).

Arum wasn't thrilled by the scoring, either, as Giampa gave the first three rounds and five of the last six rounds to Barrera.

"I'm finished with this," Arum said at the post-fight press conference when asked if he was interested in putting on a rubber match.

"How can any experienced judge give Barrera the first three rounds?"

John Jackson, Barrera's promoter, is open to a rubber match. The MGM Grand's executives would love to host a third bout, and the fighters said they are open to that idea, too.

"I want to say to all the people who want a third match between me and Erik Morales, I am ready," Barrera stated (in both Spanish and English) at the post-fight press conference. Morales said it's up to Arum, but he's willing to do it again and thinks he can win it -- easily.

Nigel Collins, editor-in-chief of The Ring magazine, presented Barrera with The Ring's featherweight world title belt. There will be those who disagree with that coronation, including many respected ringside journalists (MaxBoxing's Michael Katz scored it 115-113, for Morales, for instance).

They have to get it on again. Just give them two years to recover. If they are still in the fight game, maybe fans will be treated to one more battle.

At least fans have two splendid fights to remember and watch on tape. Barrera and Morales have an all-Mexican rivalry that is just as good at the bantamweight wars that Ruben Olivares and Chucho Castillo once waged in L.A. more than 30 years ago. A third match might put them on that Zale-Graziano, Ali-Frazier, or Bowe-Holyfield level.