THE SWITCH-HITTER

May 15, 2006 - by Nat Gottlieb

He turned pro at 15 in a country where boxers are neither coddled nor brought along slowly. Before his 18th birthday, Marco Antonio Barrera had already fought 16 times in the favored Mexican style -- ferocious brawls which quickly separate the ones who have the required courage, heart, and ability to ignore pain that will bring honor to their country.

Entering his 17th year now as a pro, the 32-year-old Barrera has won 61 of his 65 fights, including 19 of 22 world championship bouts. He has captured titles in three different weight classes and assured himself of a spot as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Perhaps most importantly to him, Marco Antonio Barrera has almost certainly earned a slot among the top five Mexican boxers of all time.

What is also remarkable about Barrera, but not often talked about, is how unusually long he has been able to stay at the top of his game, especially because of the punishing fight style he has practiced throughout much of his career. Like everything else in this world, boxers have a certain career life expectancy, and the first to fade away are almost always the brawlers.

So why, when Barrera enters the ring on Saturday against Rocky Juarez (25-1-0) in a junior lightweight title fight at the Staples Center on HBO's "World Championship Boxing," will he do so widely considered still one of the top five pound-for-pound boxers in the world?

Hall of Fame trainer and HBO commentator Emanuel Steward traces Barrera's ability to stay in his prime to one thing: he dramatically converted himself from a brawler into a boxer-puncher at a stage in his career when most fighters are irrevocably set in their ways. Not only that, it amazes Steward how remarkably seamless Barrera effectively switches from one style to the other.

"Barrera is the most adaptable fighter in modern times," Steward said. "He can switch right in the midst of a fight. In the history of boxing, the best at switching before Barrera was 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler. Hagler was the best I ever saw until Barrera came along."

What makes Barrera's successful conversion all the more remarkable is that it came after his 54th professional fight in February of 1999. Most trainers are satisfied if they can make one or two minor adjustments in a veteran boxer's style. Barrera did an extreme makeover. Then, with just one practice run of his new style, he jumped in the ring to use his new style in the biggest fight of his life at the time, against undefeated British sensation Haseem Hamed.

Barrera's ability today to switch from strength to strength has drawn admirers among his boxing peers. In an interview before his American debut against Luis Collazo, England's Ricky Hatton sidestepped questions about his own fight for a moment to go out of his way to praise Barrera.

"I'm a big fan of Barrera, you know, because he's very, very clever the way he thinks in a fight so he can make sure he can box as well as punch," Hatton said. "He's versatile and he can make a fight as easy or as hard as he wants to. He's what fans like to see, a lot of talent, a lot of boxing ability and some smoke. If I had to pick a fighter in the world who I really admired at the moment, I would say Marco Antonio Barrera."

Barrera's decision to abandon his trademark brawler's style did not come easy, especially because he knew it was the way his Mexican fans preferred to see him fight. But after losing for the first time in his career to Junior Jones in back-to-back fights in 1996, and later suffering an emotionally devastating lost to rival countryman Erik Morales in 2000, Barrera began to hear whispers that perhaps the Boy Wonder from Mexico City had peaked at age 26, after 11 grueling years in the ring.

Right after losing to Morales - a fight which elevated Erik's status in Mexico over Barrera's - Marco quietly began to make adjustments that in Steward's opinion not only saved his career, but boosted him to new heights.

"There's no question that it prolonged his career," Steward said. "His type of fighter, especially the smaller (weight class) ones, don't have long careers. Think back to 1996 when he fought Kennedy McKinney (on the debut show of HBO's "Boxing After Dark.") If Barrera had maintained that style, do you think he'd still be around today?"

The way Barrera and McKinney went at it that night, some wondered if either man would even be around at the final bell.

Barrera was 39-0 and a junior featherweight champion when he and McKinney, a hardnosed scrapper with a 28-1-1 record, engaged in a back alley brawl. From the opening bell, the two went at it toe-to-toe, 12 blistering rounds in a breathtaking display of courage and power that left both men bloodied and bruised as the rounds wore on.

It finally looked like it might be over when Barrera knocked McKinney down twice in the 8th round and once in the ninth. But McKinney, to the delight of a raucous crowd at the Great Western Forum, refused to yield, getting up off the canvas to battle on.

Incredibly, after absorbing a tremendous amount of punishment from Barrera, McKinney somehow rallied to knock him down in the 11th round. Sitting on their stools awaiting the final three minutes, both boxers were completely exhausted and battered. While it was obvious Barrera was way ahead on the judges cards, that didn't deter McKinney from charging out at the bell looking for a knockdown to salvage the fight. McKinney showed great heart, but Barrera's will was stronger. Barrera knocked down McKinney twice before the bout was stopped with a scant 55 seconds left to go. The crowd was as almost as exhausted as the fighters slumped on their stools.

The power-punching Mexican continued to bull his way through three more opponents before he finally met a man who could take all he had to dish out and return the favor, Brooklyn's Junior Jones (42-2). Jones overwhelmed Barrera, knocking him down twice in the 5th round before the Barrera's corner men stepped in the ring to intentionally disqualify their fighter.

As always when there is an upset in the ring, people scramble to explain it. The most circulated excuse for why Barrera fought an untypical, almost lethargic performance was because he had had serious outside distractions, involving kidnapping threats made to members of his family.

But "Serious Outside Distractions" with an asterisk is not something you will find in the record book. The reality was that it was not only a devastating emotional loss, but it cost Barrera a huge chunk of money. Prior to the fight, Barrera had signed a deal to meet unbeaten, crowd-pleasing Brit Hamed for his next fight. After the Jones fiasco, the contract was torn up, and it would be five long years before fans would get to see these two fighters meet.

Five months after the first loss to Jones, Barrera fought better in a rematch, but still lost a close unanimous decision. If ever there was a time to make adjustments, this was it. But Barrera is an intensely proud man, and he knew his huge popularity in Mexico was due in no small part to his exciting, all-out style. Although he had demonstrated strong boxing skills as an amateur with a 56-4 record and an amazing five Mexican national titles, Barrera did not want to disappoint his fans and so gave little thought to reviving those assets.

Barrera felt vindicated by his decision to stay the course when he won all six of his next fights, five by knockout. None, however, came against world caliber opponents. In the end, it would take another, far more humiliating loss for Barrera to make changes.

Erik Morales. Mention the name and almost instantly "Barrera" jumps into your head, so joined at the hip are these two fighters today. But back in 2000, Morales was just a young unbeaten (35-0) junior featherweight, who despite having made eight straight successful title defenses, had not done enough to get out from under Barrera's long shadow. In the eyes of his countrymen, Morales lacked that "signature" victory over a great fighter.

Well before the opening bell, it was evident more was at stake in this fight than a title reunification. Both knew the winner would emerge as the most popular warrior-fighter in Mexico since Julio Cesar Chavez, the significance of which you probably have to be Mexican to fully appreciate.

In a blistering, all-out war, Morales prevailed in a close split decision that would earn the bout Ring Magazine's 2000 "Fight of the Year." Looking back, however, that loss would prove a "winner" in the overall scope of Barrera's career.

The defeat, coming in his 52nd fight, finally convinced Barrera it was time to make adjustments. Barrera went back into training, and without fanfare, started concentrating on his boxing skills. When he broke camp, he wasn't able to show the changes he had made in his next fight because it was short and sweet, a first round KO of Luiz Freitas. In his next bout, however, long dormant boxing skills started to emerge when he beat young Jose Luis Valbuena in an easy, unanimous decision.

Before that fight, Hamed in late 2000 again signed a deal for a bout with Barrera in April of 2001. That fight was several months away, so Barrera, as he had done before after signing to meet Hamed, scheduled a tune-up against a dangerous opponent: former junior featherweight champ Jesus Salud (62-9), who had only been stopped twice in his career and not in the last 10 years. The Hamed camp, fearing a replay of the Jones fiasco and another multi-million dollar payday flushed down the drain, tried to dissuade Barrera, but he insisted he needed a tough fight as a warm up for the Brit. By doing so, Barrera did something analogous to what Oscar De La Hoya did in signing to fight a seemingly dangerous foe in Ricardo Mayorga, knowing he had a possible monster payday looming in September with Floyd Mayweather Jr., or possibly Felix Trinidad, Winky Wright or Hatton.

Just as De La Hoya today was second-guessed by many for taking on a "prep" with so many potential pitfalls, so was Barrera. But in hindsight, it looks like the choice of Salud was part of an intriguing strategy by the wily Barrera. Barrera knew that Hamed and his people would be at ringside for the fight. What more perfect time to fully unveil his new, boxer-puncher style and perhaps rattle Hamed, who assumed at the time he would be facing a one-dimensional fighter in April.

When the bell rang, instead of coming out brawling, early in the first round Barrera landed a series of effective combinations that surprised not only Salud, but undoubtedly Hamed. Barrera boxed and moved, throwing shots while he circled the confused older fighter.

Steward was watching that fight on TV because he had recently signed to co-train Hamed with the boxer's regular conditioner, Oscar Suarez. "He looked like a machine, the way he was putting punches together and moving" Steward said. "I was very impressed. He looked like a million dollars."

Impressed, yes. Surprised, no. "I had watched him train many times before in his career, and knew he had the skills," Steward said. "And he had boxed very well in his previous fight before Salud. We prepared Naseem for both styles."

It's one thing to prepare a fighter for an opponent who can toss in a few new wrinkles, another to face the kind of born-again boxer Barrera was against Salud.

Round after round, Hamed watched a Barrera he did not recognize from the tapes he had studied, a Barrera who displayed a veritable arsenal of classic boxing skills. Who was this guy who worked so carefully for his shots behind a hard left jab? Who was this fighter who used more defense and lateral movement and mixed punches to the body and head? Barrera broke Salud down round by round, and after going 10 years without being stopped, Salud's corner called it quits for their fighter before the 7th.

What affect did watching that fight have on Hamed? No one can gauge if Barrera's little surprise unnerved Hamed, but when the two finally met, the result certainly suggests that the cocky British fighter might have been a bit intimidated by what he had seen. In stunning fashion, Barrera thoroughly dominated the 33-0 English fighter, using superb boxing skills to expose previously undetected weaknesses in Hamed's armor. Barrera won a unanimous decision in a fight which many felt made Hamed look like an amateur. Hamed would fight just once more the following year and then retire at age 28, while a resurrected Barrera was only beginning a second, perhaps even more glorious career.

More popular now than ever, Barrera the boxer-puncher reeled off four straight victories, three against high caliber opponents, including a much-anticipated rematch with Morales; and wins over former three-division world champion Johnny Tapia, and longtime contender Kevin Kelley (54-5-2).

Riding the high of his long career, Barrera was a big favorite to dismantle his next opponent, popular Filipino brawler Manny Pacquiao (37-2-1), a junior featherweight title holder who was moving up to featherweight to face him.

The fight proved a nightmare for Barrera, who abandoned his boxing skills and went toe-to-toe with the high-energy, power-punching Pacquiao, playing right into the Filipino's hands. Barrera looked lethargic while he absorbed a thorough beating en route to a shocking 11th round TKO loss.

Pacquiao was immediately labeled a superstar. As for Barrera, once again people began wondering if he hadn't peaked and was through.

Although Barrera's camp made no excuse, those who knew him well had a theory to explain why he was so dominated by Pacquiao. They knew the Mexican boxer is a very structured person who depends on routine to keep himself focused. He is almost compulsive-obsessive about routine. As had happened before the first Junior Jones fight, Barrera had two major distractions before facing Pacquiao.

First, he had a much-publicized breakup with his management team. Then, his fired handlers went public with information that Barrera had had a brain operation after the second Jones fight in which small metal plates had been put into his skull. Despite the fact that Barrera had had 22 fights since then, he was ordered to take a brain examination, which disrupted both his training and acute sense of routine.

"Forget that (Pacquiao) fight," Steward said. "That wasn't the real Barrera. He had all kinds of problems mentally. Barrera is a very organized person who sticks to his routine. So just throw out that fight."

Steward's assessment looked right-on when seven months later Barrera began yet another comeback, first beating Paulie Ayala again, then winning a brutally fought, majority decision over Morales in their rubber match, a bout named Ring Magazine's 2004 "Fight of the Year." It also earned him his third division title (junior lightweight), which he successfully defended first against young contender Mzonke Fana (22-2) and then Australian Robbie Peden in a reunification title fight. Not only did Barrera thoroughly outclass Peden, but he did so by once again demonstrating impressively slick boxing skills.

Setting his sights on becoming the only Mexican to ever win titles in four weight classes, Barrera scheduled a lightweight championship fight with belt holder Jesus Chavez, only to see his quest for immortality derailed when Chavez withdrew because of a training injury.

While saying he is not looking past Chavez's substitute, Juarez, Barrera has already reserved an HBO date at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for Nov. 11 against an unnamed opponent. It is obvious his first two choices for "unnamed" would be a Pacquiao or Chavez. Should those fights not materialize, Barrera has said he wouldn't rule out another rumble with Morales.

In Juarez, however, he once again has taken a dangerous "tune-up," similar to the ones he had both times before he was to meet Hamed.

"This fighter (Juarez) that he's facing has a good chance of beating him," Steward said. "He's young (26), boxes well and punches very well." That having been said, Steward still picks Barrera.

Longtime HBO commentator Larry Merchant summed up the 32-year-old boxer that is Marco Antonio Barrera quite nicely, saying, "He turned pro at 15, rebounded from major setbacks and still remains passionately engaged. He really wants to be remembered as a great fighter, and while he's at it, make some big bucks, too," Merchant said.

Like the lawyer Barrera once began studying to be, he is still in a position to call his shots because he learned how to present his own best case: as a boxer-puncher.