By Nick Bellafatto
“I will pull off the biggest upset since Buster Douglas beat [Mike] Tyson. Phillipians 4:13…For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” cited the spirited Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. And he will need that spirit. For waiting in the wings to meet him this Saturday night in what is the most anticipated bout of the year is boxing’s preeminent star Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.
“Guerrero is a very aggressive fighter,” stated Mayweather, nowadays referring to himself as the “Ghostbuster.” This is a guy who I know I can’t overlook. Everyone who fights me is gunning for me, so to stay at the top I have to push myself to the limit and be ready for what they are ready to give me.”
Billed as “May Day,” synonymous with International Workers Day, undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KO’s) versus Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) for the WBC welterweight crown and vacant Ring Magazine title if anything, promises to provide two men plying their trade to the best of their abilities.
And when the bell rings at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend, what’s pivotal for the once beaten Guerrero of Gilroy, California, a fighter who lacks the hand speed, sharpness, and skill-set of eight-time world champion Mayweather Jr., is that he bring Floyd down to his level.
Unable to outbox the pound-for-pound king from Grand Rapids, Michigan by any stretch, four-division titlist and mandatory challenger Robert Guerrero in possessing great ring intellect must know that the only way to accomplish the unthinkable is to at some point commence to mugging the defending champion. This in a way similar to how he dealt with recent victim Andre Berto.
One fight removed from successfully moving up to welterweight, “The Ghost” in demolishing Berto appeared to have trained at the “B-Hop” academy of prizefighting, a like style of which must be pursued in order for him to prevail over Floyd.
I mean rather than attempt to pinpoint his shots as many others have against the best defensive fighter of the modern era, Robert I’m positive will hit what’s available. This is thee main premise upon which I base giving the Mexican a chance to pull off what would be a major upset on “Cinco De Mayo” weekend.
Specifically “The Ghost” must pound the arms, shoulders, body, etc. in an effort to open up Mayweather for his more fully extended punches, wherein which the challenger’s power really resides. If this scenario indeed plays out, it may in turn provide Robert the ultimate opportunity for which he searches, that being the kayo, a task of immense proportions.
No matter the degree of difficulty though, ending the champion’s reign by way of knockout is in the opinion of Guerrero himself the only option.“In order for me to win this fight I have to knock Floyd out. It’s very difficult trying to out-point him or win a decision trying to box with him for 12 rounds. [So] we’re going to go after him the whole fight.”
Floyd’s response, “everybody’s game plan has been to keep pressure and throw a lot of punches. The last time I checked, I was 43 and 0. [So] as long as everybody’s got the same game plan, I’m gonna keep the same game plan”
But whether attempting to confuse Mayweather or exercise what he considers his options, Guerrero on the other hand has also alluded to the fact that roughing up the champion may not necessarily be the plan of attack. “Throwing a lot of punches for the best defense is a mistake with Floyd. I mean, he’s one of the best counter punchers in the business. That’s why you have to be so patient. You might only get three or four opportunities to take him out in the whole fight.”
Very difficult to see this latest approach paying dividends despite Floyd recently serving jail time while averaging just one fight a year. That’s to say dedicated to his craft, “Money” trains incessantly, so that in addition to reigning supreme over the sport he’s perhaps the best conditioned boxer on the planet.
In other words, Robert in being patient, i.e. waiting for an opportunity to fall in his lap, will be hard pressed to find one. The challenger is far better off trying to force the issue, though at a suitable pace with defense and head movement being imperative as Guerrero himself would attest to.
Having said that, Robert in the minds of many possesses yet other attributes that will aid him in his attempt to dethrone the champion. One of those attributes is a solid chin, of which if it holds up come fight night, will allow him to execute the mugging in question, as Guerrero well knows he’ll have to take some to land some. “He’s going to hit you no matter how well you prepare,” said Guerrero. “When he hits you, you have to tell yourself, I knew that was coming.”
Then there’s the religious component. Armed with his faith, Robert firmly believes that God has put him in this position to not only humble Mayweather, a fighter who he opines flaunts his wealth and mistreats women, but the entire sport of boxing. And as demonstrated throughout history, belief systems have proven to be powerful motivational tools, so that “The Ghost” in seeing this as a battle between David and Goliath could prove beneficial.
However, Floyd while referring to Guerrero as hypocritical happens to dismiss the religious aspect entirely. Stated the champion, “he believes in God, I believe in God. This fight is not about church. This fight is not about being a Catholic, being a Christian, being a Jew, being a Muslim. This is about two fighters competing, testing their skills against one another. That’s what this is about.
Setting the spiritual angle aside, what may further bode well for the challenger is that he’s the bigger fighter, something many hadn’t realized. Combine that size with delivering blows from the southpaw stance, blows now proven to have some pop at the welterweight limit, and this creates further intrigue, perhaps more so than have any of Floyd’s previous opponents.
But make no mistake, this will be an uphill battle for the challenger. For whether or not Floyd Jr. has indeed lost a step as has been hinted at by Guerrero, Robert was more than candid in his observation. “Floyd is always in excellent shape. You can’t underestimate him [or] look past anything he brings, because like I said, if he is slowing down, his slower is faster than almost every other fighter out there.”
Summing up, considering that Robert Guerrero has been through some well known life altering times outside the ropes, this to me makes him more of a threat inside the squared circle. Add in a good chin and a tremendous will to win, and high drama should be par for the course. Perhaps the kind of drama that may see Floyd have to make the more crucial adjustments. Only time will tell.
Could “The Ghost” somehow find success at range to force Mayweather out of the box a bit? Not likely, but quite interesting in that Floyd is mainly reluctant to push the envelope. The more looming question seems to be this. Will “Money” be able to hurt or at the very least deter Robert from working on the inside?
If not, then fight fans are in for a real treat, as the Gilroy, California native, short on plans to hug or kiss his opponent, is rather doggedly determined to the point that I see him exceeding that of what Miguel Cotto was able to accomplish, this on his way to perhaps shocking the world. “My belief is that I’m going to go in there and beat him [Mayweather] down on May 4th,” said Guerrero. “He should just worry about getting ready for the rematch at this point. Be ready to be shocked.”
ACTS: “MAY DAY,” Mayweather vs. Guerrero, a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC welterweight championship and the vacant Ring Magazine title, distributed live by Showtime Pay Per View beginning at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Also featured in the co-main event will be featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon taking on two-division titlist Abner Mares in a scheduled 12-round bout for De Leon’s WBC belt.
Additional undercard bouts will include former IBF bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round scrap for the vacant USBA junior featherweight championship, while rising star J’Leon Love squares off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight contest for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.
