Two Most Athletic Boxers Face Off: Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero vs. Floyd Mayweather

Published

12 years ago

May 2, 2013

Most of Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero’s career has existed under the radar, like one of those stealth bombers that suddenly appear in a flash.

Others received the fanfare, television time and adulation after the 2000 Olympics in Australia.

Guerrero’s debut took place in an open air fight card in the middle of the desert. The main event was Hector Camacho Jr., who rode on top of a camel or something. It’s a little fuzzy, but you get the picture. That night the junior featherweight southpaw from Gilroy defeated Alejandro Cruz by decision.

A couple of years passed and Guerrero defeated all of those who entered the ring. Nothing jumped out as he beat boxers in Miami, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Temecula. But he only fought once near his hometown.

It was in 2003 that Guerrero really caught my eye. He was fighting a super tough desert fighter named David Vasquez in a bout set for 10 rounds at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella. Anyone who fought Vasquez was in for a battle.

Vasquez had a granite chin and it was put to good use by visiting elite prizefighters like Prince Naseem Hamed, Acelino “Popo” Freitas and others. He had traded blows with the best and they welcomed his strength and durability. Plus, he was plain dangerous as a puncher too.

Maybe three or four other boxing journalists were seated that evening. One other in attendance that night was James “Lights Out” Toney who a week earlier had defeated Vassiliy Jirov for the cruiserweight world title.

Guerrero entered the ring looking like some kid that was picked off a schoolyard and asked to put on boxing gloves. On the other side was Vasquez who was shorter but compact and menacing. The fight commenced and Vasquez moved in to close the distance. Guerrero was firing tight combinations. Suddenly, a left cross blurred across and connected with a sound like a mini sonic boom. Vasquez dropped in a heap. The referee didn’t bother to count. Toney shouted something behind me about the sound of the punch. It was impressive.

Ironically, that fight took place May 4, 2003, exactly 10 years to the date that Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 Kos) will challenge Floyd Mayweather (43-0, 26 Kos) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The WBC welterweight title and recognition as boxing’s best Pound for Pound fighter will also be at stake. Showtime pay-per-view will televise.

Guerrero’s journey has been a long and somewhat invisible trek that has seen him move up the weight divisions, not because he could not maintain the weight, but because he was avoided by smart managers who knew better than to put their fighters in front of Guerrero.

Big Bear Lake became a common training spot for Team Guerrero who often used Sugar Shane Mosley’s cabin to prepare for their fights. On one occasion Mosley needed a southpaw and Guerrero was called. At the time the lanky lefty was needed to prepare for Luis Collazo who had a date with Mosley. Guerrero was about to fly to Denmark to defend the IBF featherweight title against Spend Abazi.

“I didn’t care,” said Guerrero back then. “If I had to go, I had to go.”

Mosley was very enthusiastic about Guerrero’s abilities.

“He hits like a welterweight,” said Mosley who sparred many rounds with Guerrero in the high altitude of Big Bear. “I can see him moving up and doing real well.”

Those were prophetic words.

Needless to say Guerrero traveled to Denmark and knocked out Abazi in the ninth round to keep the world title. A couple of years later he moved up to win the junior lightweight world title in 2009, but suddenly, no one would challenge him. So he moved up another division and fought Joel Casamayor. Then came Vicente Escobedo and Michael Katsidis. But few other lightweights would jump in the ring with Guerrero.

Jumping the ring

A couple of years ago Guerrero was training once again in Big Bear Lake. He was at Abel Sanchez’s gym The Summit and agreed to talk to us. We began talking about some of the other things he does to keep occupied and one other person told us that Guerrero could dunk a basketball. We were impressed.

Then one of the others claimed that Guerrero could stand next to the boxing ring and leap over the top rope without using his hands. I looked at the boxing ring which was placed on a one foot platform and then looked at the boxing ropes. I estimated that altogether I was about four inches shy of six-feet high. Guerrero stood next to the ring and without any prodding leaped over the boxing ring with inches to spare. It was a Blake Griffin-type jump that would have made the redheaded L.A. Clipper proud.

It astounded me. I hadn’t seen anyone as athletic as that in many years.

While we drove down the mountaintop the photographer and I couldn’t stop talking about the athleticism we had just seen with the naked eye. It was something an Olympian might do, not a boxer from Gilroy, California.

As we talked the photographer asked if I had ever seen anyone else as athletic as Guerrero. I thought about it. I knew Oscar De La Hoya was pretty athletic. His own physical education teacher at Garfield High claims that De La Hoya took up fencing for a short time and proved pretty adept. The coach said De La Hoya was a natural and that he could run for miles with nary a hiccup.

Personally the most athletic boxer I had seen until I saw Guerrero was Floyd Mayweather Jr. Ironically it was in Big Bear Lake that Mayweather showed off some of his athleticism.

It was around 1997 when I walked into the Big Bear Fitness Club near the lake. At the time the fitness club was perhaps the most popular destination for boxers to prepare for a big fight. Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Angel Manfredy, Angel Hernandez, Antonio Diaz, Rafael Ruelas and Shane Mosley used it during the 1990s. One day I walked in and there was Mayweather working out at full speed. He must have been drilling feverishly and had his posse along. After working out for about an hour straight he leaped up to this apparatus that had all kinds of bars and handles on it. He did about 30 chin ups rapid fire then did like a backward somersault as he propelled himself away from the metal monstrosity. It was an incredible gymnastic feat and it stunned me how easily he did it.

That athleticism along with his lifelong devotion toward building his boxing skills has catapulted Mayweather to the top of the boxing pyramid. No one argues that he’s not the best fighter pound for pound… at the moment.

The half decade spent trying to make a fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao went down the drain quickly once the Filipino southpaw was defeated twice. But now there’s another southpaw who rose meteorically too.

“If you look at my career, you go back and look at everything I’ve been through inside the ring, outside of the ring, it all leads you up to be ready for moments like this,” said Guerrero.

Still, most people are convinced that time doesn’t change things. They firmly believe that Mayweather 2013 is the same as Mayweather 2009. Maybe so. Maybe this isn’t the year that the best fighter of the last six years has lost too many steps.

“This is about two fighters going out there, testing their skills against one another,” said Mayweather. “That’s what this is about.”

Mayweather has never been defeated and perhaps the closest anyone came to handing the Las Vegas speedster a loss came against Jose Luis Castillo and De La Hoya. Those were many years ago.

When asked to comment about those facts Guerrero merely shrugs.

“It’s my time,” Guerrero says.

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David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 324: Ryan Garcia Leads Three Days in May Battles

Published

18 hours ago

May 1, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 324: Ryan Garcia Leads Three Days in May Battles

They’re fighting on the streets of New York again.

Times Square.

Ryan “King Ry” Garcia leads six of the best crack shots in boxing under 30 in New York City on Friday, May 2. It begins a three-day event that moves to Saudi Arabia on Saturday then Las Vegas on Sunday. Three targets.

A number of the best promoters in the sport of boxing are combining forces for “Ring Magazine’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.”

Time Square is target one.

Fresh off a one-year suspension, Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) brings his brand of speed and power against Rollie Romero (16-2, 13 KOs), who is no shrinking petunia when it comes to power. They meet in the main event.

Ever since Garcia took off the amateur head gear, he’s shown almost inhuman explosive power and speed. Though his destruction of Devin Haney last year was overturned by the New York Athletic Commission, what viewers saw cannot be erased.

“His dad likes to talk a lot,” said Garcia of Haney. “that’s what got his son beat the first time.”

Now he faces Romero, whose years ago sparring superiority caused a furor when it happened. But sparring and fighting are distinctly different. Now there will be millions watching and future earnings at stake.

“This fight was destined to happen. I called it. I knew it was gonna be at 147 pounds and be one of the biggest fights in boxing history,” said Romero, a two-division champion.

Then, you have Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) who got his loss in the ring removed by the commission but now faces former two-time champion Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) in a welterweight showdown. It’s a compelling match.

“Styles make fights. He does a lot of good things and a lot of bad things in there. It’s my job to go in there and handicap him of the good things he does and exploit the bad things,” said Haney of Ramirez.

Ramirez recently lost his last match and has a history of problems making weight. This fight will not be at 140 pounds, but five pounds heavier.

“I owe it to myself to show up and move up into a bigger weight class. I think that’s going to do wonders for me,” Ramirez said. ““I’m preparing for the best Devin Haney. That’s the guy I want to beat. I want that challenge.”

A super lightweight battle between New York’s Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) and California’s Arnold Barboza (32-0, 11 KOs) might be a Rubik’s Cube battle or a blast of nitro. Both are highly skilled and master craftsmen in a prize ring.

“We’re going to go out there and do what I have to do. I’m going to have fun and beat the brick out of this boy,” said Lopez, one of the local fighters who now lives and trains on the West Coast.

Barboza, a Los Angeles native, has knocked off several top contenders in remaining undefeated.

“This is the toughest opponent of my career,” said Barboza, who bested England’s Jack Catterall and fellow Californian Jose Carlos Ramirez. “I’m gonna punch him in the mouth and see what happens.”

Six of the best American fighters under 30 are slugging it out on Times Square. It probably hasn’t been done since Boss Tweed.

Day Two: Riyadh

Super middleweight champions Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) and William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) meet on Saturday, May 3, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s an extension of Ring Magazine’s event on Friday and presented by Riyadh Season. DAZN will stream the event on pay-per-view.

Another world title match pits Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) versus Norair Mikaeljan (27-2 12 KOs) for the WBC cruiser world title.

Also, a return match between Mexico’s Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 KOs) and France’s Bruno Surace (26-0-2, 5 KOs) in a super middleweight fight.

Day Three: Las Vegas

Immensely talented Naoya “Monster” Inoue of Japan returns to Las Vegas to showcase his fighting skills to an American audience.

It’s been nearly four years since Inoue appeared in Las Vegas and demonstrated why many experts and fans call him the best fighter pound for pound on the planet. The best.

“I’m excited about everything,” said Inoue about the opportunity to fight in front of an American audience once again.

Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) defends the undisputed super bantamweight championship against a little-known banger from San Antonio, Texas named Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs). ESPN will televise the Top Rank and Teiken Promotions fight card.

Don’t dismiss Cardenas casually. He is co-promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz who knows a thing or two about signing little known sluggers such as Manny Pacquiao, Marcos Maidana and female undisputed champ Gabriela Fundora.

Cardenas trains with brothers Joel and Antonio Diaz in Indio, California and rumor has it has been cracking on the Uzbeks who are pretty rough and tumble.

Of course, the Monster is another matter.

Inoue has fought many of the best smaller weight fighters such as Luis Nery, Stephen Fulton and the great Nonito Donaire and swept them aside with his combination of speed, power and skill.

“I’m always going for the knockout,” Inoue said.

Cardenas always goes for the knockout too.

Two bangers in Las Vegas. That’s what prizefighting is all about.

“I hope to enjoy the whole atmosphere and the fight,” said Inoue. Also, it’s my first time fighting in the T-Mobile Arena.”

Co-Feature

WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs) of Mexico defends against Edward Vazquez (17-2, 4 KOs) of Texas. This will be Espinoza’s third defense of the world title.

Espinoza could be Inoue’s next opponent if the Japanese legend decides to move up another weight division.

Also on the fight card will be Emiliano Vargas, Ra’eese Aleem and others.

Fights to Watch (all times Pacific Time)

Fri. DAZN ppv 2 p.m. Ryan Garcia (24-1) vs Rolando Romero (16-2); Devin Haney (31-1) vs Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2); Teofimo Lopez (21-1) vs Arnold Barboza (32-0).

Sat. DAZN ppv 2:45 p.m. Saul Alvarez (62-2-2) vs William Scull (23-0); Badou Jack (28-3-3) vs Norair Mikeljan (27-2); Jaime Munguia (44-2) vs Bruno Surace (26-0-2).

Sun. ESPN 7 p.m. Naoya Inoue (29-0) vs Ramon Cardenas (26-1); Rafael Espinoza (26-0) vs Edward Vazquez (17-2); Ra’eese Aleem (21-1) vs Rudy Garcia (13-1-1).

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Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

4 days ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Jorge-Garcia-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

5 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

Chris-Eubank-Jr-Outlasts-Conor-Benn-at-Tottenham-Hotsour-Stadium

Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

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