Gilroy fighter faces Aiken for featherweight championship at
Staples Center tonight
By Marc David Sports Editor
Los Angeles– This is the moment Robert Guerrero has waited for during his boxing career.
It’s the time when he can put an exclamation point on his relatively young career as he battles Eric Aiken for the International Boxing Federation featherweight title. The bout is on a Showtime card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in which the heavyweight elimination fight between James Toney and Samuel Peter is the headliner.
But the Guerrero-Aiken bout, which is scheduled at 7pm, will crown a world champion and put the winner in line for mega-purses in the future. With names like Erik Morales, Manuel Barrera, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez at or near the weight division, the winner could be in line for seven-figure purses.
Interestingly, while both fighters are confident of a victory, neither will get in a war of words.
“We have a spiritual bond, we’re both born-again Christians,” said Aiken, 26, the champion who comes into the fight with a 16-4 record with 14 knockouts. “I don’t personally know ‘the Ghost,’ but I’ve seen him fight a few times and I expect a great fight. I’m extremely excited for my first (title) defense), especially with it being at Staples Center and on Showtime.”
Guerrero, 18-1-1 with 11 KOs, is equally humble.
“I want to thank Eric Aiken for giving me the opportunity,” said Guerrero, 23, who will earn his second six-figure purse. “I know that he’s a strong fighter who comes to fight. It’s going to be a great fight. I can’t wait. I’ve been working for this since I was 9 years old. I’ve paid my dues.”
Both fighters enter the ring after overcoming potentially devastating losses and putting their careers back on track.
Just six months ago, Aiken’s career appeared to be headed in the wrong direction after he lost a unanimous decision to unheralded Johnnie Edwards. That’s what former world champion Tim Austin thought when he hand-picked Aiken one month later.
Only Aiken upset the applecart when he stopped Austin in six rounds. He followed that by gaining the IBF title when Valdemir Pereira was disqualified in the eighth round of their scheduled 12-rounder for repeated low blows.
“Ask opponents, they will tell you get hit by ‘Mighty Mouse’ (Aiken’s nickname), you’ll go to great lengths to end the fight,” Aiken said of Pereira’s antics.
Guerrero’s career was briefly derailed when he lost a split decision to Gamaliel Diaz 16 months ago in a North American Boxing Federation featherweight title bout. After stopping Sandro Marcos in three rounds, Guerrero was ready for the rematch with Diaz in June, gaining a sixth-round KO to earn a shot at a world title.
“I never lacked confidence for that second fight,” Guerrero said. “I just had a bad night the first fight. Diaz is a tough fighter who comes to fight all the time. He will make you look bad. If you have a bad night, he’s going to beat you.”
Guerrero doesn’t expect a bad night tonight. With his California roots and the fact that he has done training in Los Angeles, he figures to have the crowd behind him. But he knows that will only go so far.
“He’s got pop with both hands,” Guerrero said of Aiken. “I have a lot of respect for him because he has paid his dues. When it’s time to step up to the plate, I will get the job done. It’s time for me to take charge, to become the featherweight champion of the world.”
