Not every fight is going to be competitive. Matchmaking is an art, and sometimes a dark art at that?
The last time former four-division champion Robert Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs) fought, less than six months ago against undefeated Keith Thurman, he received a drubbing. It was his second loss in three fights, the first being to Floyd Mayweather in May 2013. No one expected Guerrero to retire after he lost to Thurman, any more than after he lost to Mayweather. He is only 32. He?s a name fighter with a poignant backstory. He?s proof that a down-to-earth son can be born to a crazy-ass father.
But Guerrero, a former featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight champion, has not brought his power with him as he moved through the divisions (his perseverance is another matter). Less a stylist than a brawler, more of an in-your-face fighter than a knockout artist, his last early stoppage was over five years ago. That hasn?t, however, prevented The Ghost from engaging in memorable fights, defeating, for example, Michael Katsidis, Selcuk Aydin, and Andre Berto in 2011 and 2012. But those wins, even the win over Yoshihiro Kamegai, sandwiched between his two most recent losses, are starting to feel like a memory of things past.
On Saturday, June 6, at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, Guerrero headlines an afternoon doubleheader that will be televised live on NBC (3 PM ET/Noon PT). His opponent will be East LA?s Aron Martinez (19-3-1, 4 KOs). Martinez, like Guerrero, also lost two of his last three fights, a UD to Jessie Vargas in 2012 and a KO to Josesito Lopez in 2014. That and his lack of power suggest that the object of the fight is to make Guerrero look good, good enough to get another shot at another title.
?Aron Martinez is not coming to lay down,? said Guerrero at the CrossFit Ranch last week. ?He?s had plenty of time to prepare for this fight and I?m expecting him to come out guns blazing. One thing is for sure, I?m going to be throwing some hard shots right from the opening bell.
?I can?t emphasize how important it is for me to be fighting back to back in just a couple of months. Staying active is crucial to any fighter. The more you fight the better you perform and I can feel the improvement in my whole fighting style. If possible, I want to fight two more times before the year ends, but first I must get past Martinez.?
Not every fight is going to be competitive. Matchmaking is an art, and sometimes a dark art at that. Nobody begrudges Robert Guerrero anything. He excelled in the world?s hardest profession. He feeds his family by absorbing punishment. He?s been a credit to the sport. He?s a soulful cat. The fight with Martinez, which doesn?t look promising on paper, won?t be as one-sided as Garcia-Salka, a fight that was memorable for the wrong reasons. But it won?t be as close as a main event before a large audience ought to be.
In the co-main event, WBA World featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (26-1, 20 KOs) defends his title against former flyweight and super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (40-7-1, 29 KOs).
Cuellar, a two-fisted 28-year-old from the boxing hotbed of Argentina, was a highly decorated amateur who turned professional in 2008. Aside from a single loss to Oscar Escandon in 2011, he has stopped 20 of the 26 men he has faced.
His opponent this weekend, Vic Darchinyan, has achieved great things during his 15 years of service. He fought everyone there was to fight, and while he won some and lost others, Darchinyan never gave less than his all and then some.
Darchinyan has embodied the word tough, but he is 39, a decade older than Cuellar, and has lost four of his last seven fights dating back to 2011.
Anything can happen when the opening bell sounds. But Darchinyan?s chances of defeating Cuellar are slim to none?and slim just left town.
