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Guerrero Has Wanted Floyd For A Loooongggg Time

Published

11 years ago

April 10, 2013

Las Vegas (April 10) – Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero will attempt to hand Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather the first loss of his professional career when they face off on Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. in a fight which will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV^®.

While it has yet to be seen whether Guerrero’s faith can will him to victory as he has recently claimed it will, it is evident that determination has guided him to the biggest fight of his career.

Guerrero has shown that he can certainly back up his talk with his actions in the ring. In 2012, he won two back-to-back bouts in the welterweight division and captured the WBC Interim Welterweight World Championship, making him the third fighter in boxing history to win a world title at featherweight and welterweight, joining the likes of legends Henry Armstrong and Manny Pacquiao. Guerrero has also joined the exclusive fraternity of fighters who have jumped up two weight classes to win world championships during their careers, a group which includes Roberto Duran, Roy Jones Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley with only Guerrero and Jones accomplishing the feat in their first fights in their new weight classes. Lastly, he is one of two Mexican American fighters to win world titles in four divisions, the other being Oscar De La Hoya.

While it’s not a surprise that Guerrero has earned the opportunity to face Mayweather, the proven pound-for-pound and pay-per-view king, it might surprise even the most dedicated boxing fans to know just how long Guerrero lobbied for this opportunity.

November 11, 2011

“I just believe that there’s a potential Mayweather fight out there for me. You know, Mayweather wants to come back on May 5. (Ring TV)

“I’m a world champion over three different weight divisions. I’ve fought overseas and I’ve won five titles. What more can I do in boxing to put myself into position for a fight of this magnitude?” (Ring TV)

“I’m throwing it out there. There shouldn’t be any reason that that fight can’t be made. My last fight, I walked into the ring at 152 pounds. Mayweather walks into the ring at 148 or 149 or 150, so that’s not much of a difference. I can make 147 no problem.” (Ring TV)

November 21, 2011

“I’m a multiple world champion and I’ve won titles in three different divisions. That’s always the excuse when you’re trying to avoid the young lion. For instance, Jesus Chavez, Carlos Hernandez, Sharmba Mitchell, Victor Ortiz and Henry Bruseles, who did they beat to get their chance to fight Floyd? Not one of them has accomplished as much as I have.” (Boxing Scene)

“We are approaching this challenge like ‘Hey, let’s make it happen. I know he set that date. Cinco de Mayo. I am Mexican American right here. Let’s do it.” (The Sweet Science)

“Mayweather is the guy I want. Like I said, I want to fight the best… I’d love to fight him.” (The Sweet Science)

“I know he is paying attention. Floyd Mayweather would not be pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, if he wasn’t paying attention. Even when he retired, he was paying attention. I’m expecting him to take on the challenge.” (The Sweet Science)

December 1, 2011

“The fact is I’ve always faced the biggest challenges in and out of the ring head on. I’ve always said to be the best you have to fight the best and right now Floyd Mayweather is considered the best fighter in the world. I’m here to say I’m the best fighter in the world. There’s only one way to find out…May 5^th let’s do it.” (Boxing Scene)

December 6, 2011

“I’m a five-time world champion in three different weight divisions. I’m a 5’9″ lefty and everyone says he has trouble with lefties. This is his chance to show the world. I’ve won world titles, defending them a number of times. He isn’t getting a guy that’s only had one world title fight. He’d have an experienced fighter in front of him and also a big fighter… Everything is setup right there to make a big fight…When it comes down to it, I take care of business. If it comes down to having to go to Floyd’s gym, that’s what I’ll do.” (Fight Hype)

December 15, 2011

“I haven’t fought in awhile, but it hasn’t been that long. I will get the best sparring partners in the world and will be sharper than I’ve ever been. Like I said, I respect Floyd a lot and will make sure I am on top of my game. I feel like some of these things can help me get the fight. You know how Floyd likes to hand pick his opponents…Maybe this will make me look more attractive to him.” (Fight Saga)

“Floyd needs a dancing partner on Cinco de Mayo and I’m willing to step up and face the biggest challenge out there. I know I can beat him. It’s up to Floyd to take the fight.” (Fight Hype)

“Well for one, like I said, I wanna fight the best fighters out there. Everyone says I am 135, that I have no experience at 140 or 147. Size is not the issue. I am a physically bigger guy. I have been around Floyd, I have seen Floyd in person. I have been on undercards that Floyd was fighting on. I am a bigger guy than Floyd. At the end of the day words are not going to get the job done.” (Examiner)

January 4, 2012

“Yes, I’ve been seeking a fight with Floyd since his date on May 5^th was announced. I’m here to fight the best fighters in the world.” (Doghouse Boxing)

January 9, 2012

“I’m going to shock the world and beat Floyd Mayweather.” (LA Times)

“No matter who it is, a fight with Floyd Mayweather would be the biggest fight of anybody’s career. This is where you start setting your legacy as one of the greatest in boxing.” (Daily News)

# # #

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,“ a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round junior featherweight bout and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800 and $600, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now with a ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts at ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York, are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

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The Sweet Science

Articles

2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

8 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Articles

Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

8 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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Articles

2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

8 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

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