▁and ▁amateur ▁career ▁ <0x09> ▁Mar gar ito ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Tor rance , ▁California . ▁From ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁two ▁he ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁T iju ana , ▁Mexico , ▁where ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁spent ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁time ▁in ▁a ▁neighborhood ▁box ing ▁g ym . ▁ ▁He ▁compiled ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁ 1 8 - 3 ▁in ▁his ▁relatively ▁brief ▁amateur ▁career , ▁indicating ▁that ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁turned ▁pro ▁quickly ▁due ▁to ▁financial ▁concerns ▁( which ▁he ▁himself ▁confirmed ▁on ▁his ▁personal ▁television ▁segment ▁on ▁H BO : ▁Ring ▁Life : ▁Antonio ▁Mar gar ito ). ▁ ▁Professional ▁career ▁ ▁Wel ter weight ▁ ▁Mar gar ito ▁made ▁his ▁debut ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 5 , ▁be ating ▁Jose ▁Tru j illo ▁in ▁T iju ana ▁by ▁decision . ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 5 ▁he ▁achieved ▁his ▁first ▁knock out , ▁defe ating ▁Victor ▁Ang ulo ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁round . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 7 ▁he ▁suffered ▁his ▁first ▁defeat , ▁a ▁six - round ▁decision ▁to ▁Victor ▁L oz o ya . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁six ▁b outs , ▁he ▁went ▁ 4 – 2 . ▁Following ▁that , ▁his ▁financial ▁situation ▁dram atically ▁improved ▁( which ▁is ▁what ▁he ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁achieve ▁early ▁on ▁in ▁his ▁career ) ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁he ▁went ▁ 2 8 – 2 – 1 , ▁with ▁notable ▁wins ▁over ▁Alfred ▁An k am ah , ▁Juan ▁So ber anes , ▁future ▁World ▁Middle weight ▁Champion ▁Ser