With KO of Figueroa, Gilroy’s Guerrero is NABF champion
He could see it in his eyes.
In Thursday’s fight for the NABF featherweight world title, Gilroy’s Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero pummeled Cesar Figueroa for the first three rounds. And when he knocked him off his feet in the fourth with a wicked left hand to the chin, Guerrero saw an opening.
“He got up and I saw the look in his eyes,” Guerrero said. “It looked like he’d seen a ghost.”
He had, of course – and less than 10 seconds later, he saw Garlic City’s boxing apparition for the final time.
Guerrero (13-0-1, 7 KOs) landed a vicious left upper cut that put Figueroa down for good and brought the crowd to its feet at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula.
“I just jumped on him and finished it off,” the 21-year-old said. “I put him down and it was over.”
According to Guerrero, it was all but over from the start.
Under new trainer John Bray, he’d been working extensively on jabs and body shots over the last two months of training. And all the work paid off against Figueroa (28-5-2, 20 KOs).
“We worked on that a lot and the gameplan was going good,” Guerrero said. “From the first minute, I punished him with jabs and shots to the body and I slowed him down with it.
“I broke him down and slowed him down and he kept getting frustrated and forced himself to go inside.”
Guerrero won the first three rounds and “won them easily,” he said. Then in the fourth, the southpaw landed a “short, real tight” left hand to the chin.
“He was ready for it,” Guerrero said. “I just landed it solid.”
In the seconds following, Figueroa didn’t have a prayer. Guerrero finished him off quickly en route to the knockout victory.
He’ll arrive in his hometown tonight to celebrate with friends and family.
“I can’t wait to smell that garlic,” Guerrero said shortly after the fight. “Whenever I smell that, I know I’m home.”
And for the first time as a professional, he’ll be coming home a champion.
“We’re just doing it out here,” Guerrero said. “I’m a title holder now and we’re gonna move on from there.
“It feels really good – it’s a big accomplishment. It’s something Gilroy should be proud of. I’m representing Gilroy.”
