Much at stake in Gilroy native’s April 9 fight versus Michael
Katsidis
GILROY
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero could wake up Sunday morning as a five-time world champion.
“It sounds nice,” Guerrero said from Las Vegas on Friday hours after wrapping up his final sparring session concluding a month-long training camp in the desert.
The Gilroy native (28-1-1, 18 KOs) and current WBO Inter-Continental champion is less than a week away from a long-awaited bout with Michael Katsidis (27-3, 23 KOs) — a 12-round fight for the interim WBO and WBA Lightweight titles.
“I’m excited,” Guerrero said of the April 9 clash. “I want to bring two more titles back to Gilroy.”
After Guerrero dominated an aging Joel Casamayor in July 2010, he immediately lobbied for a title fight. However, time and time again he was overlooked by the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and others. Now, bluntly speaking, it’s the fight for which Guerrero has patiently, albeit loudly, waited.
“Fighting this fight with Katsidis is going to put me into the top-10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” he said. “I want to prove the doubters wrong.”
The anticipated matchup comes one year after the duo’s first scheduled fight in March 2010. Guerrero was forced to back out due to wife Casey Guerrero’s battle with cancer.
However, with Casey’s health in order, Guerrero said he was able to dedicate his full attention to preparing and emphasized he is in the best shape of his life. Guerrero compared training at home in Gilroy and balancing boxing with his family duties to the all day every day regimen he took on in Las Vegas and said there was no other way for him to get ready for Katsidis beside fully committing himself to his camp.
“This was the first training camp away from home for a while,” Guerrero said. “Just being able to concentrate on boxing, focusing on game plan, fight film, and getting great sparring, makes things a lot easier to get in shape.
“Training back home is like half-stepping, whether I realized it or not. In the past I wanted to be nearby the family. But the daily routines start to take a toll on you mentally. Out here I’m getting the proper everything. I’m able to get the job done right.”
An undercard to the evening’s main event pitting Erik Morales and Marcos Maidana, a juicy incentive landed in the laps of Guerrero and Katsidis two weeks ago when it was determined their meeting would be for the unified lightweight crown after titleholder Marquez remained adamant about moving up in weight for a possible third try against Manny Pacquiao.
“I’m super confident,” Guerrero said. “I didn’t leave any stone unturned. I did everything I possibly could to be 100 percent prepared for this fight. Coming out here makes everything way easier.”
Katsidis had a crack at the Lightweight title in November 2010 but lost via technical knockout in the ninth round.
“He’s a tough guy,” Guerrero said. “He has fought some great fighters. He comes to fight. There ain’t no quit in this guy.”
The fight will be broadcast on HBO pay-per-view at 6 p.m.
