Boxing: Robert Guerrero Knows Time Is Nearing End

He knows. It’s nothing Robert Guerrero will readily admit, but he knows. It always happens when those creaks in the joints become a little more audible getting out of bed each morning, and when the after effects of those runs linger longer than they should.

Guerrero, 32, has been in his share of wars. He’s 2-2 in his last four fights, though some believe he should be 1-3 after a controversial, split-decision victory over Aron Martinez in June 2015, in which “The Ghost” recovered from a fourth-round knockdown.

Now, once again, Guerrero is staring in the face of what may be left of his boxing future. He meets undefeated Danny Garcia (31-0, 18 KOs) this Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, a nationally televised bout via Premier Boxing Champions on Fox for the vacant WBC welterweight title.

Once again, Guerrero (33-3-1, 18 KOs) will bring whatever is left from his arsenal. He’s coming off a seven-month layoff, and he’s only fought four times in the last three years. The Ghost, no doubt, will put on a show -- but does he have anything left to make this fight intriguing?

Obviously, Guerrero thinks he does. In a sense, he’s fighting for his boxing life.

“A win would be tremendous, but I’ve proven myself to be an exciting fighter,” Guerrero says. “No one can say I’m boring. I always give it my all, and the true fans appreciated that. There is no doubt that a win will silence the critics.”

Guerrero has faced the better opposition. He was dominated by Floyd Mayweather. Despite considerable heart, he showed signs of wear against Keith Thurman, who dropped him in the ninth round. Guerrero has actually been down in his last two fights. Whereas Thurman is one of the world’s best, the Martinez bout was supposed to help Guerrero’s brand remain relevant. It didn’t.

“I have no excuses. And, you know what? I came back. It was three months after the (Thurman) fight,” Guerrero said. “Aron Martinez is a tough guy. Everybody saw his last fight and what he did. He came out rough and tough and did his job.

“I went out there and got the job done. He gave me a tough fight, and I’m not going to take anything away from Aron Martinez, because he trained his butt off and came and did what he did and got the job done. So, I have no excuses for that fight. You just got to get back on top of it and work hard.”

Guerrero admits he was drained emotionally when he entered the Martinez fight, though claims he’s heading into the Garcia bout with a clear mind. He thinks his experience will be a determining factor against the younger, stronger Garcia. Another incentive is the prospect of placing the first blemish on Garcia’s spotless record.

“He’s been in some close fights... But, you’re just as good as your last fight. That’s what you look at,” Guerrero said, referencing Garcia’s August stoppage of Paul Malignaggi. “He came in and got the job done and stopped him. He cracked the wall through a division. Now, it’s time to step in with me, and that’s what we’re focusing on. We put a great game plan together and we’re excited to get out there and execute it.”

“It makes it sweet to give somebody their first loss. It shows what a true champion is to see what they do after they lose and their adversity and their back against the wall. I’m excited to be getting in there with an undefeated Danny Garcia because I get that shot like everybody else gets that shot, to crack that zero and put a one there. It’s exciting.”

Joseph Santoliquito is the president of the Boxing Writer's Association of America and a frequent contributor to Sherdog.com's mixed martial arts and boxing coverage. His archive can be found here.