by Chris Cella
Saturday night, as he picked apart former WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, Roberto “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO) solidified himself as one of the top–and quite possibly the most dangerous–welterweights in the world.
Through 12 rounds, Guerrero waged war with Berto (28-2, 22 KO), dropping him twice in the first round, and progressively doing damage which accumulated by the end of the fight. Despite getting caught by savage uppercuts seemingly at will when Berto threw them, Guerrero didn’t flinch and continued his attack, showing his ability to walk through a power shot.
It was reported yesterday by the LA Times that Guerrero’s promoter was in discussions with a rep of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s about putting together a fight in 2013. Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto this past May, which may have been his toughest test to date within the squared circle.
Golden Boy Promotions Chief Executive Richard Schaefer shared, “Interest is there. It’s a process, one that has begun … I have a site and date I mind, but those conversations are best served now to take place behind closed doors.”
As the likeliness that a Mayweather/Pacquiao super fight will never take place increases, a battle between Guerrero and Mayweather is one that will get fans talking.
So if this fight does happen in 2013, can Roberto Guerrero be the first fighter to put a mark on Mayweather’s unblemished record?
Nearly seven months ago, Cotto was able to get inside on Floyd and do some damage, and following “The Ghost’s” performance over the bigger Berto Saturday night, he may be the prime candidate to end Mayweather’s supremacy.
Being undefeated (15-0) since suffering the only loss of his career in 2005, Guerrero has progressively improved and developed a full arsenal of tools within the ring. He has quietly and humbly moved up through the divisions and ranks, and looks the most comfortable as a welterweight, as he has found a balance between his speed and power.
Floyd Mayweather is not the big puncher Andre Berto is, and Guerrero walked through the former WBC welterweight champs best power shots unfazed.
Although Mayweather and Berto are not in the same class, what Guerrero showed Saturday night may be a good indication of what he could bring to the table against Floyd.
The southpaw is not scared to go in there and make it a street fight; his style could easily disrupt Mayweather’s game plan and halt him from getting into his usual rhythm he establishes when he goes to work. And if Floyd Mayweather starts to get aggravated from being unable to execute at will, he may take chances and leave himself vulnerable, which against an unrelenting opponent like Guerrero could lead him to his first loss.
The development of this fight will be closely watched through the boxing world in the next few weeks, and if it does materialize, it can already be hailed as one of the best match-ups in 2013.
