Robert Guerrero, in his first fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather, survived an all-out war to decision Yoshihiro Kamegai after 12 grueling rounds?
Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, former featherweight and super featherweight champion Robert ?The Ghost? Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KOs), in his first fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather last May, survived an all-out war to decision Yoshihiro Kamegai (24-2-1, 21 KOs) by scores of 116-112 and 117-111 twice after 12 rounds of action.
Kamegai wasn?t supposed to give Guerrero trouble. He?s a good but not great fighter who fought most of his fights in Tokyo. Japanese fighters traditionally have plenty of bottom, but few expected the contest to be as brutal as it was.
Landing bombs, going for jugular, this was a war of attrition from the opening bell. There was no defense. There was no footwork. There wasn?t an inkling of self-preservation in either man.
Guerrero drew first blood in round four from Kamegai?s nose. In round six Guerrero?s eye was cut and had swollen shut. But these were just surface injuries, visible injuries, however definitive they might have appeared. The real injuries in this bout were internal and perhaps not so easily remedied with a needle and thread and a few days of rest.
But the fighters continued fighting at close quarters, going toe-to-toe, going for broke, determined to win at any and all costs.
As exhilarating as it might be to witness a fight like this, it?s hard to imagine that both fighters will be the same after this grueling exhibition.
Guerrero, who has always done boxing proud, desperately needs a real trainer in his corner, someone who can teach him, or at the very least remind him, to protect himself, if not at all times, at least some of the time.
?It was a rough fight,? said Guerrero after the bout. ?I didn?t want to get caught into his style, but right off the gate I did. I?m not a runner, I will fight. He is a tough, great fighter. I want to give the fans what they want.?
The Ghost?s willingness to throw caution to the wind may win him legions of fans, but he?s shortening his career at an alarming pace. He?s young man with a lovely family and presumably a long future ahead of him. But a few more fights like tonight?s fight at the StubHub will put that future in jeopardy.
