A deal is completed pitting WBC interim welterweight titleholder Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero against former WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto on Nov. 24 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Guerrero’s co-manager Luis DeCubas Jr. told the Dispatch on Monday.
The bout will be for Guerrero’s 147-pound WBC interim crown, which will be decided on HBO, DeCubas added.
“It’s done. We are happy to close this deal. We are ready to go,” an excited DeCubas said. “This is a great fight and the best possible one for Robert. He has done all he can do in boxing up to this point and is ready for that big fight. And I tell you what, a superstar will be born when Robert wins this fight.”
The news of this fight comes about a week after talks of a Dec. 15 showdown with Timothy Bradley fizzled.
Guerrero has been training for the past three weeks in Gilroy, DeCubas said, and is on his way to Las Vegas, with father and trainer Ruben Guerrero and co-manager Bob Santos, to continue his training camp.
“This is a big fight for my career as well as my team,” Guerrero said Monday. “We’ve worked extremely hard to get in this position. Andre Berto is considered one of the best fighters in the world and win against him will continue to open up amazing opportunities for my career. I want to thank my hometown fans of Gilroy for their support. I’m going to bring the victory home.”
Berto (28-1, 22 KOs) held the WBC welterweight title from June 2008 to April 2011, successfully defending it five times before succumbing to Victor Ortiz by unanimous decision.
A rematch was scheduled with Ortiz for last June but was canceled when Berto tested positive for a banned substance in May.
Berto was issued a boxing license by the California State Athletic Commission in August. DeCubas said that Guerrero and Berto will submit to a random drug test sometime before the fight.
Berto last fought in September 2011, defeating Dejan Zavec. He was in attendance for Guerrero’s July 28 bout against then-undefeated Selcuk Aydin, in which The Ghost (30-1-1, 18 KOs) won by unanimous decision in front of a very supportive crowd in San Jose’s HP Pavilion.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told The Ring’s Lem Satterfield that both boxers will make “seven figures” for the fight.
