Guerrero hopes to be the first-ever Gilroy-born boxer to hold a
title.
GILROY – One month and seven days after Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero celebrates his 20th birthday on Thursday, the undefeated junior featherweight will try to make garlic history and become the first-ever Gilroy-born fighter to win a championship belt.
Shortly after signing a five-year contract with well-respected promoter Dan Goossen, the 19-year-old pugilist – who holds a 9-0 record with two knockouts – will step into the ring for the biggest fight of his young boxing career.
“This one is going to make Robert,” said trainer Ruben Guerrero, Robert’s father. “He’s going to be super ready for this fight. He’s going to bring this belt home.”
Guerrero will take on highly-regarded Mexican fighter Johnny Gonzalez (22-2, 17 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round championship bout May 4 in Palm Springs for the vacant WBC Junior Featherweight title. The Sunday Night Fights card – which has Guerrero as the semi-main event – will be televised live on FOX Sports Net, starting at 6 p.m.
“I was ready at 19, but it’s perfect timing right now,” said Guerrero, as he fixed his tape before beginning his final workout at the Community Youth Center Gym on Sixth Street in Gilroy before heading down to the Goossen Camp near Los Angeles. “I’m still young. A lot of guys don’t get a title shot like this until they are 25-, 26-years old.”
There is a cluster of young, up-and-coming fighters in the 122-pound weight division – but Guerrero now benefits from the Goossen pull within the boxing circle.
“If I win this fight, I’ll be in the top-10 in the world (rankings) and that means a world title shot could come at any time,” said Guerrero, gleaming with confidence. “It would mean a lot (to win the title). Nobody has ever done it from Gilroy.”
Women’s boxer Kelsey ‘The Road Warrior’ Jeffries – a Hollister resident who trains out of Gilroy – holds a world title among her many belts, but Guerrero would be the first garlic grown world champion.
“I’ve been waiting for this for 10 years,” said Guerrero with a smile.
It will be the toughest fight of Guerrero’s career as he faces the former top amateur for the Mexican Olympic Team in Gonzalez – who was also named the best prospect fighter of the year in 2002.
“We’re going to have to press this guy,” Ruben Guerrero said. “We’re going to try to take this guy out early.”
“We’re going to try and we are,” added ‘The Ghost’, who knocked out his last opponent, Marcos Badillo, in the second round. “He’s usually the bigger man… This time he runs into the bigger guy.”
This is the first time Guerrero will be involved in a fight more than six rounds in his career – but if all goes to plan, he won’t have to go all 12 with an early knockout of Gonzalez.
“He’s a brawler,” said Ruben Guerrero of Gonzalez. “He likes to pressure his opponent.”
That’s exactly what ‘The Ghost’ wants.
“I’ve got films on the guy and I’ve been studying them. I’ve already broke him down,” Guerrero said. “I know what I want to do. All I’ve got to do is go practice it in the gym sparring.”
Guerrero left early this morning to the Goossen Gym in Southern California – where he will train until May 1 when he leaves for Palm Springs. Guerrero has trained at the Goossen Camp before for a week or two at a time – but this time he plans on staying even longer because of the increase in rounds.
“When you go to L.A., there’s nothing but the best fighters. It’s L.A. It’s one of the biggest boxing towns in the world,” Guerrero said. “You get the best work. It gets you sharp. Just look what happened to the last guy (Badillo).”
