If you’re looking for Robert
”
The Ghost
”
Guerrero to be training in a remote gym Los Angeles, you’ll soon
find he is nowhere to be seen.
Salinas – If you’re looking for Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero to be training in a remote gym Los Angeles, you’ll soon find he is nowhere to be seen.
Instead, the IBF Featherweight champion is haunting a boxing club in Salinas, where he has made camp for his upcoming Sept. 15 title defense against Rocky Juarez.
“It didn’t really work out to go out (to Los Angeles),” Guerrero said. “My lead sparring partners are actually from Salinas.”
Those partners come in the form of Eloy Perez and current California State Junior Welterweight champion Jesus “Chuy” Rodriguez, both of whom helped the champ get ready for his last fight with Spend Abazi.
Both Perez and Rodriguez have a little bit of a weight advantage on Guerrero, which the Gilroy native thinks will help make him ready for the expected war with Juarez.
“The heavier the guy is, the harder they hit,” Guerrero said. “It works out great because when you got a guy, that heavier guy that hits harder … if you stand they’re your going to get nailed.”
But getting nailed is something the agile and active Guerrero rarely has had a problem with. His whale-length wingspan is uncommon amongst featherweights and it is something he intends to utilize while fighting the more compact Juarez.
“(We’re) just bringing in a lot of shorter guys for sparring, just getting used to the height,” Guerrero said. “I’m just a huge featherweight, I think I’m one of the biggest featherweights out there. I’m just a freak of nature.”
The Ghost’s focus on staying in peak physical condition also comes by his nature.
“I don’t have a problem with (making) weight,” Guerrero said in reference to his huge frame for the weight class. “It’s a matter of taking care of yourself all the time. Your body is a tool. I put the best in my body. A carpenter can’t work without his saw and hammer, same thing with me. I cant work without my body.”
While Guerrero said he feels like his training couldn’t be going any better at the moment, he also knows that it’s important to pace himself so that he reaches the apex of his ability in mid-September.
“Its a matter of working smart, and knowing when to push and when to pull back,” Guerrero said. “You want to be careful about peaking too early. You could be peaking and all of a sudden you go downhill. Right now, it’s just sharpening up on a lot of stuff.”
While much of the prep work will be done in the 100 degree temperatures in Salinas, Guerrero is also taking a cerebral approach into the fight.
“We’re still working on the game plan,” he said. “We’re going over tapes and picking and choosing some things that really bother him in the ring. What works in the ring we’ll use. What doesn’t, we’ll throw it out.”
