Ghost faces Salido with IBF championship belt on the line
Robert “the Ghost” Guerrero rolled the dice long before he arrived in Las Vegas on Monday.
By agreeing to make his first title defense Saturday against Orlando Salido at Mandalay Bay Casino and Events Center, Guerrero took a gamble before it was mandated by the International Boxing Federation. The HBO Pay Per View fight is on the same card that features the World Boxing Council welterweight championship between Floyd Mayweather and Carlos Baldomir.
There are several reasons why Salido is a gamble as an opponent for Guerrero, the featherweight champion from Gilroy.
– Lack of name recognition-In a weight range that has the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrerra, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, Salido is a virtual unknown.
– Record-A 27-9-2 record is hardly impressive for a man fighting for a title. And yet, a closer look reveals Salido has lost just once in the last five years.
– The opponent nobody wanted-What you don’t know can be more dangerous than a fighter with a reputation. What Guerrero says he knows is that nobody wants to fight Salido.
– So why now instead of six months down the road?-“Why not?” Guerrero asks. “Every fight is dangerous. You can’t take anyone lightly. He’s rated No. 1 and wouldn’t be if he wasn’t a good fighter.”
Guerrero, 23, learned earlier in his career that taking anyone lightly can be dangerous. He admits he took Gamaliel Diaz lightly the first time they fought, and Guerrero paid the price by dropping a split decision. The second time they fought, Guerrero won by knockout.
“(Salido’s) not well known but he’s beat a lot of guys and he’s knocked a lot of them out,” said Guerrero, 19-1-1 with 12 KOs. “In the boxing community, Salido is well known. He fought Juan Manual Marquez and went 12 rounds with him. Everyone around boxing knows he’s a dangerous fighter. There are a lot of well-known fighters who don’t want to get in with him.”
Guerrero is not one of them, though. Unlike other fighters, especially champions, he doesn’t like to take much time off between fights. He wants to keep busy, to establish a lasting legacy. Guerrero knows that comes with fighting worthy challengers.
“I want to give the fans a good fight,” Guerrero said. “Why not fight the best? He’s the best or the IBF wouldn’t have made him the No. 1 contender. To be the best, you fight the best and don’t duck anyone.”
