By Rick Reeno
Former champion Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (31-2-1, 18KOs) spoke to BoxingScene.com about this past Saturday night's fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Mayweather, at the welterweight limit, won a twelve round decision over Guerrero in May. Against Canelo, Mayweather moved up to 152-pounds to win a twelve round decision and the WBC/WBA junior middleweight titles.
BoxingScene.com: It was a big weekend for boxing. What do you think about this weekend’s past event, “The One”?
Robert Guerrero: It’s always good for the sport of boxing to have great events for the fans. Everyone got to see a great fight card from top to bottom and these are the type of events boxing needs to have more often. It is very important that the fans keep getting these types of cards. It shows our sport is only getting stronger.
BoxingScene.com: Can you give us your thoughts on this weekend’s main event between Floyd Mayweather and “Canelo” Alvarez?
Robert Guerrrero: Floyd Mayweather is a very smart fighter and knows how to win. You got to respect that he looked good beating a bigger man. For Canelo he is a good fighter who I feel performed well for his young age. He did his best and he’ll learn from that experience. One thing I've learned is if you take an experience from every fight and stay hungry, you'll get better.
BoxingScene.com: Do you feel that you performed better than Canelo?
Robert Guerrero: To me if you don't win it doesn't matter who performed better it’s about winning. I do feel Floyd fought Cotto and Alvarez different than me because he actually stayed in the pocket and moved them backwards at times. With me he used his legs the whole fight and never stayed in the pocket or fought off the ropes. I really feel if he fights me in the pocket it’s a completely different fight, but he made his adjustment and I had to chase him the whole fight which obviously makes it more difficult. Floyd is a great fighter and I definitely learned a lot from that fight.
BoxingScene.com: It did surprise me that you turned pro at junior featherweight, and you were able to get Mayweather moving for most of the fight. I thought he would move around more with Canelo being that he’s a natural junior middleweight. Were you surprised that Floyd stood in the pocket and traded with “Canelo”?
Robert Guerrero: If you look at his past fights Marquez, Mosley, Ortiz, Cotto and Alveraz he fought all of them in the pocket and I had a feeling he wouldn't want to fight me like that so I kept telling him to go toe to toe which he kept saying he was going to do. Which we all know he didn't because he knew he couldn't beat me in the pocket. Like I said, styles make fights and Floyd must have seen something in “Canelo” that made him think he could fight on the inside a bit more. I love to get on the inside and grind out a war for the fans. I will definitely go back to working my abilities that I did in the past, so sooner or later I'd love to get a second crack at solving the puzzle.
BoxingScene.com: What's next for the Ghost? Anything new?
Robert Guerrero: Well, I've been training since June. I'm ready to go. I'm just waiting on Golden Boy Promotions to put together a fight with my management team. I want to fight the best guys out there and fighters who are willing to give the fans sweat, blood, and tears. Win, lose or draw I want to be in a war!
