I texted Robert Guerrero’s publicist the other day, mainly
wanting to confirm a few facts about The Ghost’s big-time brawl
with Michael Katsidis tonight. You know, the one for the interim
WBO and WBA Lightweight world championships. I like to stay in
contact with the insiders. He ended the exchange of modern
communication with, ‘This is huge,’ I guess his way of getting
across what most close followers of The Ghost already realize.
Three words with so much weight to them. Tonight is huge, he is
absolutely right. It is huge because a victory would give Guerrero
five world titles in three different weight classes
I texted Robert Guerrero’s publicist the other day, mainly wanting to confirm a few facts about The Ghost’s big-time brawl with Michael Katsidis tonight. You know, the one for the interim WBO and WBA Lightweight world championships.
I like to stay in contact with the insiders.
He ended the exchange of modern communication with, ‘This is huge,’ I guess his way of getting across what most close followers of The Ghost already realize.
Three words with so much weight to them. Tonight is huge, he is absolutely right.
It is huge because a victory would give Guerrero five world titles in three different weight classes.
It’s huge because The Ghost grew up in Gilroy and has yet to move from the area, never forgetting where he is rooted.
It’s huge because, just one year ago, his wife was bed ridden and recovering from a life-saving bone marrow transplant. He briefly put his budding career on hold and is now back at the doorstep of achieving greatness.
It’s huge because opportunities like this can come and go in a flash, and Guerrero knows that all too well.
It’s huge because the guy has a really good shot at winning.
A month of training in Las Vegas in preparation for what has turned into the 28-year-old’s most important trip to the ring of his career has served the southpaw well. Guerrero is in what he and his camp consider the best shape of his life — a burley and built 135 pounds. Conditioning at elevations as high as 11,000 feet helped too.
Boxers rarely hint at nervousness or fear and Guerrero is no different. He said he isn’t worried about losing and is excited to bring the titles back to Gilroy.
“I always think positive going into a fight. In boxing, you can’t have any doubt,” Guerrero said. “The minute you doubt yourself is the minute you sell yourself short.”
Though Guerrero has zero doubt in what he is capable of doing in the ring, there are plenty of nay-sayers more than willing to float their skepticism Guerrero’s way, calling him a quitter and disregarding the validity of world-title chances against boxing’s best.
“It’s been that way pretty much my whole career. I’ve won three world championships and I still get it,” Guerrero said. “You have to keep trucking and work hard and show the world why you’re one of the best. For me, it’s exciting when I get doubted. I don’t get mad. I don’t let those little things get to me.
“When you know you’re 100 percent ready, that stuff doesn’t bother you.”
Guerrero has certainly had to be prepared for the various career curveballs thrown at the him over the last three-plus years of his progression through the ranks.
Instead of folding, using anger, manipulating his body with performance-enhancers or making excuses, Guerrero used an unflappable work ethic and faith to thwart the tribulations.
He even recognized that his training needed to be elevated and, thus, a month-long stint in the desert ensued. His family-first attitude wasn’t ditched, just released into the trusting hands of more family. They are all around the Garlic City.
His patience could pay off, literally and figuratively, if he can get past another obstacle, a proven winner, in Katsidis. He didn’t talk a specific amount, but Guerrero did say he is happy with the way things are going.
“My management and promotions are getting the job done,” he said.
Tonight’s fight is for the interim belt, which means one more monster fight awaits Guerrero, with whom he goes toe-to-toe with is up in the air. Will it be Juan Manuel Marquez? Or will he move up in weight?
It doesn’t much matter to Guerrero. First thing is first and that’s bringing back his fifth world title to Gilroy.
