The Metamorphosis of Marco Antonio Barrera.

“You can’t win for losing.” I don’t know who first said that, but who ever it was, I can guarantee he never met Marco Antonio Barrera. The Mexico City star has continued to survive in this brutal sport because of

changes he has made to his style following his losses. He always comes back as a much better fighter after he is beaten. Barrera is an anomaly in that his confidence never seems to waver. He seems to accept his losses and, unlike most fighters that just say they do, Barrera actually learns from them. The “baby faced assassin” started his professional career in 1989, at the ripe old age of fifteen-years-old, and won his first forty-three fights, thirty-one by KO, ripping through the super bantamweight division. At the time, Barrera was a classic Mexican left-hooking, body punching, hard charging brawler that would lead with his face and let that left-hook to the body fly. All of that began to change on November 22, 1996, when Junior “Poison” Jones made Barrera’s corner step in and stop the contest after five heats. The pair would do it again on April 18, 1997, with Marco Antonio losing a twelve-round unanimous decision. Although he lost, Barrera showed significantly improved boxing skills and defense. He then rolled off six wins with one no-contest in his next seven bouts before his memorable war of attrition with Erik “El Terrible” Morales in 2000. Although most observers at ringside felt Marco won that fight, Morales claimed the victory.

Barrera resurfaced four months later with a one round knockout of Luis Freitas. No one really knew what to make of Marco Antonio, but felt that he probably did not have much left. The first true signs that Barrera had completely reconstructed himself from a blood and guts brawler to a well-schooled boxer came when he met the respected Jesus Salud in December of 2000. Barrera, using a superb jab, great defense, and excellent footwork, broke down Salud and stopped him in six rounds.

Then, in April 7, 2001, the entire world witnessed the new Marco Antonio Barrera when he methodically out-boxed, completely dominated, and exposed the then unbeaten “Prince” Naseem Hamed over twelve rounds. Barrera showed the complete package by jabbing, working the body, circling around the ring, using excellent footwork, and counter-punching the “Prince,” making him look like an amateur fighter.

Marco Antonio successfully employed this counter-punching style until November 2003 when Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao gave him a brutal beating and stopped him in the eleventh round. Of course, the “experts” started saying that this was definitely the end of Barrera as a world-class fighter. That perception changed in November of 2004 when Barrera met Morales for their rubber match at 130-pounds. Erik came in as the favorite after he had already been campaigning at 130, and had beaten the respected Jesus Chavez and Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez. Barrera would abandon his counter-punching style, as he reverted to his ultra aggressive brawling style, and shocked the world by beating Morales to win the WBC and IBF super featherweight titles. In April of 2005, he continued that aggressive style when he blew out Mzonke Fana in two rounds.

Who knows what Barrera will show up for his next fight, but it’s truly been a privilege being able to witness a true great of our sport reinvent himself and continue to make the “experts” look like fools.

Sergio Martinez can be reached at srg_mrtnz@yahoo.com