Yordan undefeated heading into Mar. 7 bout in HP Pavilion
GILROY — Duad “Cino” Yordan has the record of an imposing opponent, but it’s unclear just what he’s faced.
Taking on Gilroy native and two-time former IBF featherweight champ Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KOs) Mar. 7 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Yordan is flawless in 23 fights and has 17 knockouts on his resume. Taking part in HBO’s Boxing After Dark show, the first by the cable network to ever take place in San Jose, the fight is being viewed as a steppingstone to bigger cards by both fighters.
While Guerrero is likely to be a heavy favorite in the fight, he is taking nothing for granted; giving Yordan and his experience plenty of respect.
“I’ve seen a couple rounds of him,” Guerrero said. “He’s a good boxer; slick, real quick with his hands and his feet.
“To tell you the truth, it’s kind of hard to say (how good he is) just by telling by (his opponents’) records. Every fighter is different. It’s boxing. If you can give him time, you can have a tough fight on your hands.”
The problem for Yordan — who has fought only once outside of Indonesia or Singapore and whose opponents boast a 216-140-13 combined record — could be that Guerrero doesn’t give many of his challengers much of a choice on how long their fights last. He has recorded a knockout in his last 15 victories.
A quick win could propel Guerrero into a mandatory title shot after moving up to the junior lightweight division early last year. While he isn’t necessarily counting on a knockout, Guerrero isn’t opposed to the idea. He’s taking the same approach to his last bout, which ended with a knockout of Edel Ruiz within the first minute.
“Like the last one, I wasn’t trying to knock him out in the first 43 seconds,” Guerrero said, “but the shot was there and I took it.”
Beating Ruiz in such quick fashion has made preparation for this upcoming fight, taking place just six weeks later, no problem, Guerrero said.
“The hard work is already done, everything is just mental,” he said, adding that a quick victory could result in another quick turnaround.
“After this one, just jump back in the ring. If you come out clean, just get back in.”
