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

Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

Published

16 hours ago

March 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Ever-Improving-Callum-Walsh-KOs-Dean-Sutherland-at-Madison-Square-Garden

Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.

One right hook was all it took.

“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.

In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.

Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.

Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.

He did not hesitate.

Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.

After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.

“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.

It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.

“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.

Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.

Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.

A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).

Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.

Also

Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.

Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.

Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.

Photo credit: JP Yim

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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Published

2 days ago

March 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

Published

3 days ago

March 14, 2025

David A. Avila

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As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.

The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.

Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.

Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.

Is Walsh part of the plans?

It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?

Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.

Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.

Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.

Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.

Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.

Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Dana, Turk and TKO

The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.

White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.

Where does that leave Top Rank?

It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.

Is this good for boxing?

Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:

“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

DAZN all day

Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.

Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.

Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).

Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).

Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).

Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).

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