Guerrero relishes opportunity to fight for welterweight title on NBC
It has been less than two years since Robert Guerrero lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden.
But May 4, 2013, seems like a lifetime ago to Guerrero, a three-division world champion who will fight for the welterweight title again Saturday against World Boxing Association champ Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand in the 12-round main event of the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC.
“This is a fight that boxing fans want to see and a chance for the sport to create new fans,” Guerrero said. “My dad used to watch the fights on network TV when he was a kid. Now, we get to experience this together. It’s really exciting for me to be able to do that.”
Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 knockouts) is long past the Mayweather loss. He returned to the ring June 21 in Carson, Calif., and won a 12-round unanimous decision over Yoshihiro Kamegai of Japan in one of the most entertaining fights of 2014.
The bout showcased all of Guerrero’s qualities. He started out boxing, shifted into brawl mode, then had his warrior instincts kick in late as both fighters were savagely attacking until the final bell.
“It was an amazing fight,” Guerrero said. “It tested me in every way. But I passed the test.”
What was truly amazing was how quickly Guerrero recovered from such a taxing fight. He credits his CrossFit training regimen for allowing him to bounce back.
“Maybe two weeks after the fight, I was back in the gym,” he said. “The CrossFit program has changed me in so many ways. Not only am I stronger and quicker, I have more flexibility and endurance.”
The program is a series of high-speed, high-impact exercises with multiple repetitions. Guerrero said it has added years to his career.
“I swear, I feel like I’m 25 again,” the 31-year-old said.
His father and trainer, Ruben, said as long as his son believes in training that way, he has no objections.
“I don’t know from this stuff,” Ruben Guerrero said. “When I was his age, I was carrying bags of cement and digging fence posts to get in shape. But I see the results from what he does, and I support it.”
Robert Guerrero said he’s prepared to brawl with or simply box Thurman (24-0, 21 KOs), who will be making the fourth defense of his title.
“We prepared for everything,” he said. “Keith Thurman is a talented fighter. But he has his weaknesses, and we’ll look to exploit those weaknesses.”
And after having fought Mayweather, Guerrero said Saturday won’t be too big a moment for him.
“That was a frustrating night,” he said. “But I learned a lot from the Mayweather fight. I’m not going to allow myself to get frustrated when things don’t work. You saw in the Kamegai fight that I was able to adjust during the fight, and I’ll do the same thing with Thurman.”
Guerrero’s life story is well known to boxing fans. But it figures to resonate with those who don’t normally watch boxing and tune in to NBC out of curiosity. He put his career on hold a few years ago as his wife, Casey, battled leukemia.
“Everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer,” Guerrero said. “Yes, we are athletes who try to hurt each other and beat each other up. But we’re also people with lives outside of boxing, and I hope when people hear about my story, they’ll become fans.”
Guerrero said his wife has celebrated five years of being cancer-free. That leaves him free to devote his full attention to winning a fourth world title. He has been world champion at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.
“It’s more than about winning a title,” Guerrero said. “It’s about fighting the best.”
■ NOTES — Today’s weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden is open to the public. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the weigh-in starts at 3. … Robert Byrd of Las Vegas will be the referee for the 12-round junior welterweight co-main event between Adrien Broner and John Molina Jr. The judges will be Burt Clements of Reno, Patricia Morse-Jarman of Las Vegas and John McKaie of New York.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
