Robert
”
The Ghost
”
Guerrero said earlier this week he intends to fight his next
bout blind by not watching tape of his opponent. It’s a good thing
considering Johnnie Edwards has now dropped out of the fight.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from a previous version which was posted June 1, 2009.
LOS ANGELES – Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero says he intends to fight his June 12 bout blind. Not blind like last fight against Daud Yordan, when blood started streaming into Guerrero’s right eye following a second-round headbutt, but blind in the sense that he won’t be doing any research.
It’s a good thing, too.
Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KOs), a Gilroy native, would have been wasting time studying Johnnie Edwards (15-4-1, 8 KOs), as it was announced Wednesday that Guerrero will have to find a new opponent. Edwards recently pulled a muscle in his back during training and notified Golden Boy Promotions Monday that he wouldn’t be ready in time to fight, according to a report by RingTV.com.
“He included a letter from his doctor,” Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions told the Web-site. “Now we’re scrambling for a replacement.”
Guerrero’s camp confirmed RingTV.com’s report that Guerrero will now be taking on Jackson Asiku (25-3, 13 KOs).
Asiku, 30, is a 5-foot-7 native of Uganda who resides in Australia. He was already in California working as a sparring partner for Chris John when Edwards dropped out, making him a logical substitution.
The fight will take place at HP Pavilion in San Jose and be televised on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights.”
In preparation for the bout, Guerrero’s six weeks of training in Los Angeles, which will wrap up later this week, has focused on making him more complete.
“I’m out here working on a lot of different things that I need to work on, just fine-tuning and having a lot of good sparring,” he said.
“I want to be prepared for everything.”
Asiku has won his last 14 fights. His last defeat came on Feb. 26, 2004 to Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym of Thailand.
Rather than returning home to Gilroy the week of the fight, Guerrero said he plans on isolating himself in a hotel in San Jose to stay sharp. This will include not seeing his wife and two children until after the fight.
“I’m gonna wait until after, just to stay isolated and keep the momentum, keep the ball rolling and keeping that fire,” Guerrero said. “[My wife] understands. I’ve been going to camp since I turned professional and she already knows the whole deal on all that.”
Tickets for the event can be purchased at any Ticketmaster location.
