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Three-division titlewinner Robert Guerrero called Floyd Mayweather Jr. "a little guy" after their recent shirtless, face-to-face meeting for a video shoot.
Guerrero did, however, call Mayweather "a mastermind in the ring" in advance of their Showtime Pay Per View-televised clash for Mayweather's WBC welterweight belt on May 4 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Things got heated between Mayweather (43-0, 26 knockouts), of Las Vegas, and Guerrero during a shooting of Showtime's All Access on Saturday in Las Vegas.
"My impression of Floyd is, that, you know, he's a little guy," said Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 knockouts), who will be after his 16th straight victory and his 10th knockout during that run against Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs). "But, you know, he's cut. But I see that in a lot of guys like him. He's just naturally cut. But he's not that big."
In his last fight in May of last year, Mayweather, who turned 36 in February, scored a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto, ending a streak of three straight stoppage wins for Cotto.
Mayweather then served an 87-day jail sentence at the Clark County Detention Center that began on June 1 of last year and ended on Aug. 3.
Guerrero, 29, has won six belts -- three of them interim -- over three weight classes, and has been picked by Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya to defeat Mayweather. De La Hoya was dethroned as WBC 154-pound titleholder by Mayweather in May of 2007.
Guerrero last suffered defeat by a split-decision to Gamaliel Diaz in December 2005, but won their rematch with a sixth-round knockout in June 2006.
Guerrero is coming off November's unanimous decision over two-time 147-pound titleholder Andre Berto, whom he dropped in the first and second rounds.
"Floyd's not like Andre Berto, who, I mean, was just bulked up and huge," said Guerrero. "But you've got to respect Floyd, because, I mean, he's fast, he's slick and he's smart and he's a mastermind in the ring."
In July of last year, Guerrero scored a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Turkish-born Selcuk Aydin (23-1, 17 KOs), having risen two weight divisions in order to make his welterweight debut for a Showtime-televised bout that transpired before an excited crowd at the H.P. Pavillion near Guerrero's hometown of Gilroy, Calif.
Guerrero also commented on the fact that his own father and trainer, Ruben Guerrero, has been having an ongoing feud with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who has rejoined his son's corner, possibly alongside his uncle and regular trainer, Roger Mayweather, for the Guerrero fight.
The union of Mayweather Sr. and Jr. could spell the end of what has been a turbulent relationship.
Guerrero spoke to ******.com in this Q&A below.
******.com: What was your impression of Mayweather during your face-to-face?
Robert Guerrero: My impressions of Floyd were that, you know, he's a little guy. But, you know, he's cut. But I see that in a in a lot of guys like him.
He's just naturally cut. When I saw him, though, he's not that big. Not the way that Andre Berto was. Floyd's not like Andre Berto, who, I mean, was just bulked up and huge.
But you've got to respect Floyd, because, I mean, he's fast, he's slick and he's smart and he's a mastermind in the ring.
But every time you see Floyd Mayweather, whether he's retired or whatever, he's just naturally in shape. I mean, he's always cut up.
It always looks like he's in tremendous shape. So that's what I see. He's just got one of those natural, God-given ripped up bodies.
******.com: The way that you're engaging Mayweather verbally during this promotion, is this something he's bringing out of you or has this always been there?
RG: It's just me speaking up. You know, I'm just the kind of guy who never used to speak up before. I would just lay back and do my thing.
But Floyd, you know, he's that type of a guy who tries to get into your head or whatever. So I've just got to let him know.
I mean, you ain't getting over with me, you know, psychologically. I'm the type of guy who, he ain't going to break me psychologically.
******.com: Your thoughts on the ongoing feud between your father and Mayweather's father?
RG: I really haven't thought nothing of it. You know, they've had their words back and forth. My main focus is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Not Floyd Mayweather Sr. So they're going to talk.
But the one thing about Floyd Mayweather Sr. is that he's a talker, and everybody knows that. But the one thing about my father is that my father never backs down from a challenge.
That's the way he was raised, and that's the way that he is. So my father is that type of a guy that if you're going to challenge him, then he's going to take you up on that challenge.
That's the way that I was raised also. So it's just one of those things where Floyd Mayweather Sr. said the wrong thing to the wrong person.
******.com: Will you be here is your weight right now, and do you expect to be the bigger man in the ring?
RG: Right now, I'm at about 156 pounds. I'm feeling great and I'm eating good. I'm right where I want to be. I'm definitely going to be the bigger man in the ring.
During the face-off, I could see that I was just physically bigger than Floyd. So that's the way that we're built. But it's not about who is going to be the bigger guy in the ring.
It's going to be about who is going to be smarter in the ring. Because, with Floyd Mayweather, no matter how big you are, it doesn't matter.
De La Hoya was bigger than him. A lot of guys are bigger than Floyd, but he manages to out-smart them and beat them.
So it comes down to your game plan, maintaining focus, and being sharp and executing it in the ring and being smart.
******.com: Can you do what you did to Aydin and Berto against Mayweather or will it be a different fight?
RG: Well, you've got to have a little bit of everything when you go against Floyd. Everybody knows that Floyd can do different things in the ring, and he can change things up.
So you've got to be prepared to execute all different kinds of game plans in this sort of a fight. Whether it's a pressure situation or whether it's a boxing match, or whether it's a chess match.
You've got to be able to switch it up and to switch gears, and I just thank God that I'm blessed with the talent to be able to do that.
You've got to bring all of your experience from throughout your whole career with different fighters and put all of that to good use against Floyd Mayweather.
http://rin gtv.craveonline.com/blog/177611-guerrero-mayweathers-a-little-guy-but-a-mastermind-
Guerrero did, however, call Mayweather "a mastermind in the ring" in advance of their Showtime Pay Per View-televised clash for Mayweather's WBC welterweight belt on May 4 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Things got heated between Mayweather (43-0, 26 knockouts), of Las Vegas, and Guerrero during a shooting of Showtime's All Access on Saturday in Las Vegas.
"My impression of Floyd is, that, you know, he's a little guy," said Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 knockouts), who will be after his 16th straight victory and his 10th knockout during that run against Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs). "But, you know, he's cut. But I see that in a lot of guys like him. He's just naturally cut. But he's not that big."
In his last fight in May of last year, Mayweather, who turned 36 in February, scored a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto, ending a streak of three straight stoppage wins for Cotto.
Mayweather then served an 87-day jail sentence at the Clark County Detention Center that began on June 1 of last year and ended on Aug. 3.
Guerrero, 29, has won six belts -- three of them interim -- over three weight classes, and has been picked by Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya to defeat Mayweather. De La Hoya was dethroned as WBC 154-pound titleholder by Mayweather in May of 2007.
Guerrero last suffered defeat by a split-decision to Gamaliel Diaz in December 2005, but won their rematch with a sixth-round knockout in June 2006.
Guerrero is coming off November's unanimous decision over two-time 147-pound titleholder Andre Berto, whom he dropped in the first and second rounds.
"Floyd's not like Andre Berto, who, I mean, was just bulked up and huge," said Guerrero. "But you've got to respect Floyd, because, I mean, he's fast, he's slick and he's smart and he's a mastermind in the ring."
In July of last year, Guerrero scored a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Turkish-born Selcuk Aydin (23-1, 17 KOs), having risen two weight divisions in order to make his welterweight debut for a Showtime-televised bout that transpired before an excited crowd at the H.P. Pavillion near Guerrero's hometown of Gilroy, Calif.
Guerrero also commented on the fact that his own father and trainer, Ruben Guerrero, has been having an ongoing feud with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who has rejoined his son's corner, possibly alongside his uncle and regular trainer, Roger Mayweather, for the Guerrero fight.
The union of Mayweather Sr. and Jr. could spell the end of what has been a turbulent relationship.
Guerrero spoke to ******.com in this Q&A below.
******.com: What was your impression of Mayweather during your face-to-face?
Robert Guerrero: My impressions of Floyd were that, you know, he's a little guy. But, you know, he's cut. But I see that in a in a lot of guys like him.
He's just naturally cut. When I saw him, though, he's not that big. Not the way that Andre Berto was. Floyd's not like Andre Berto, who, I mean, was just bulked up and huge.
But you've got to respect Floyd, because, I mean, he's fast, he's slick and he's smart and he's a mastermind in the ring.
But every time you see Floyd Mayweather, whether he's retired or whatever, he's just naturally in shape. I mean, he's always cut up.
It always looks like he's in tremendous shape. So that's what I see. He's just got one of those natural, God-given ripped up bodies.
******.com: The way that you're engaging Mayweather verbally during this promotion, is this something he's bringing out of you or has this always been there?
RG: It's just me speaking up. You know, I'm just the kind of guy who never used to speak up before. I would just lay back and do my thing.
But Floyd, you know, he's that type of a guy who tries to get into your head or whatever. So I've just got to let him know.
I mean, you ain't getting over with me, you know, psychologically. I'm the type of guy who, he ain't going to break me psychologically.
******.com: Your thoughts on the ongoing feud between your father and Mayweather's father?
RG: I really haven't thought nothing of it. You know, they've had their words back and forth. My main focus is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Not Floyd Mayweather Sr. So they're going to talk.
But the one thing about Floyd Mayweather Sr. is that he's a talker, and everybody knows that. But the one thing about my father is that my father never backs down from a challenge.
That's the way he was raised, and that's the way that he is. So my father is that type of a guy that if you're going to challenge him, then he's going to take you up on that challenge.
That's the way that I was raised also. So it's just one of those things where Floyd Mayweather Sr. said the wrong thing to the wrong person.
******.com: Will you be here is your weight right now, and do you expect to be the bigger man in the ring?
RG: Right now, I'm at about 156 pounds. I'm feeling great and I'm eating good. I'm right where I want to be. I'm definitely going to be the bigger man in the ring.
During the face-off, I could see that I was just physically bigger than Floyd. So that's the way that we're built. But it's not about who is going to be the bigger guy in the ring.
It's going to be about who is going to be smarter in the ring. Because, with Floyd Mayweather, no matter how big you are, it doesn't matter.
De La Hoya was bigger than him. A lot of guys are bigger than Floyd, but he manages to out-smart them and beat them.
So it comes down to your game plan, maintaining focus, and being sharp and executing it in the ring and being smart.
******.com: Can you do what you did to Aydin and Berto against Mayweather or will it be a different fight?
RG: Well, you've got to have a little bit of everything when you go against Floyd. Everybody knows that Floyd can do different things in the ring, and he can change things up.
So you've got to be prepared to execute all different kinds of game plans in this sort of a fight. Whether it's a pressure situation or whether it's a boxing match, or whether it's a chess match.
You've got to be able to switch it up and to switch gears, and I just thank God that I'm blessed with the talent to be able to do that.
You've got to bring all of your experience from throughout your whole career with different fighters and put all of that to good use against Floyd Mayweather.
http://rin gtv.craveonline.com/blog/177611-guerrero-mayweathers-a-little-guy-but-a-mastermind-
That's what I said, although Guerrero can't be that big if he looks that chubby at 156.
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