Gilroy boxer Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero is looking to part ways with Golden Boy Promotions.
The welterweight fighter wants out of his contract through arbitration with the California State Athletic Commission.
Guerrero’s (31-2-1, 18 KOs) five-year contract was set to expire last month, but signed an extension with Golden Boy in March 2012 — a prerequisite for his fight with Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May. He received a career-high purse — $3 million — for that fight.
Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com that he was confused with Guerrero’s decision to leave, saying that they have “totally complied” with the contract’s minimum purses and number of fights.
“Robert wouldn’t have authorized the arbitration if he was happy with Golden Boy,” Bruce Zabarauskas, Guerrero’s attorney, told ESPN.com. Zabarauskas would not say why the fighter was unhappy, however.
The contract extension would take Guerrero beyond the five-year limit for promotional contracts under California law, Zabaraukas said. Fighters like Oscar De La Hoya and Andre Ward have used similar laws to break their contracts in the past.
Schaefer, however, argues that since the contract was signed under New York law, Guerrero and Zabarauskas’ argument is invalid. Zabarauskas countered saying that because the situation was ‘no extension, no Mayweather’ it is thereby not enforceable. Mayweather could have selected another opponent, vacated the title and not given Guerrero the career-high purse.
Schaefer believes Guerrero has alternative reasons for wanting to break his contract, mainly because he thinks someone else is making promises to the Gilroy fighter.
Fighthype.com reported that unnamed source said that Guerrero had thrown his name in for a crack at Manny Pacquiao when he makes his April 12 return to the ring. The only catch is, he’d need to be free of Golden Boy Promotions to do so.
Guerrero and manager Luis DeCubas Jr. could not yet be reached for comment.
A hearing date has not yet been set.
