Floyd Mayweather Makes It Look Easy Against Robert Guerrero
Photo by Tom Casino for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
Welterweight Floyd “Money” Mayweather cemented his status as boxing’s pound-for-pound king by picking apart Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Showtime Pay Per View in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Floyd looked supremely comfortable against the overmatched Guerrero, who becomes the 44th notch on Mayweather’s unblemished record. Mayweather was landing his straight right hand from the outset, and made Guerrero look foolish at points. Guerrero’s heart and effort can’t be questioned, but he was simply not on the same level as the superlative Mayweather, who somehow impressed despite being the heavy favorite.
The phrase “vintage Mayweather” was tossed around more than once, perhaps a nod to the presence of Floyd Sr. in his son’s corner for the first time in many years. Floyd was clearly more concerned about defense than in his previous fight against Miguel Cotto, but also managed to tattoo Guerrero with hard right hands for almost the entire fight. Guerrero’s defense is lacking, and he was saved only by his granite chin. The Ghost ate a year’s worth of punishment from Floyd without tasting the canvas, though he was hurt several times.
Guerrero did enjoy his moments, mostly when Floyd went into a shell or attempted to rest by moving around the ring. But even then, Guerrero struggled to connect with more than one punch at a time, and he never appeared to affect Floyd in any serious manner. Statistics remain a flawed endeavor in boxing, but the punch count for this fight doesn’t lie: Floyd landed over 60 percent of his shots, while Guerrero landed only 20 percent.
Floyd seemed indifferent about ending the fight early, attacking at times in the later rounds, only to dance away and run out the clock instead. The difference is mostly aesthetic; Mayweather was in control by the end of the 4th round. Guerrero was never seen as much of a threat, and even when the fight went his way, Floyd seemed more than comfortable getting rough with him inside. Mayweather’s will to win remains his biggest asset, along with his remarkable physical talents.
Foremost among those gifts is his balance, which allowed Floyd to stay in the pocket and still avoid most of Guerrero’s hardest punches. Floyd would connect with a right hand, then duck forward and to the side before Guerrero had time to unload anything of substance. Early on, the Ghost would counter with shots to the body. When that strategy failed to slow Floyd as expected, Guerrero gave it up. Guerrero’s best moments were the fight’s worst, when both men were grappling together and slapping with their free hands.
The win changes little: Floyd is still the world’s top fighter, and there is no real rival on the horizon. Manny Pacquiao’s name is tarnished after the Juan Manuel Marquez defeat, and most fans seem over that fight anyhow. A rematch between Floyd and Marquez would crown a true welterweight champion of the world, which would be nice, but Floyd would still be a huge favorite. Our choice would be Floyd vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the junior middleweight championship of the world, the only big fight where Mayweather could actually lose.
Mayweather will probably fight Alvarez in the future, unless he plans to retire with his “0” intact, which increasingly seems to be the point. The Pay Per View buys alone would be difficult to turn down, especially since Floyd enjoys a healthy cut of the bottom line. Alvarez is a young, strong 154-pounder, and Floyd is 36-year-old natural welterweight. A win would elevate Floyd to all-time great status, while a loss would do little to harm his legacy. And yet, we doubt he would see it that way.
Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions delivered a tremendous Pay Per View card, highlighted by the co-feature between Mexican featherweights Abner Mares and Daniel Ponce de Leon. Mares was the unknown quantity after moving up from 122 lbs., but he delivered in spectacular fashion, knocking Ponce de Leon down twice en route to a stoppage win. The referee unfortunately called an early end to the action in the 8th when Ponce de Leon was on the ropes, but Mares still deserves credit for a statement victory.
Mares came out looking to box, a stark contrast from his all-action style at super bantamweight. He landed a lunging left hook at the end of the 2nd round directly on Ponce de Leon’s chin, hurting the veteran badly and scoring a knockdown that lasted through the bell. Ponce de Leon regained his feet, but Mares stayed in control for the first half of the fight. Only in the 7th did Mares show signs of fading, allowing Ponce de Leon to land his trademark left hand.
Mares delivered a flash of brilliance in the 9th, unloading an overhand right on his opponent from point-blank range while locked inside. The punch somehow connected squarely and floored Ponce de Leon, who rose on unsteady legs. Mares came right after him, landing several hard shots, but Ponce de Leon was focused and attempting to respond when the referee stopped the fight. The early ending robbed fans of what promised to be a spectacular conclusion. Hopefully the Nevada Commission will review the ref’s actions before allowing him to work again.
Mares showed signs of greatness in the fight, boxing effectively and altering his usual style, then reaching down for the big shot when he needed it most. He clearly established his ability to both punch and take a shot at featherweight, and should have silenced any questions about his fitness for the division. Beating Ponce de Leon makes Mares a top-5 featherweight, but unfortunately he’s unlikely to battle top-ranked Mikey Garcia or rival Nonito Donaire any time soon. We’d love to see him fight a puncher like Javier Fortuna or Evgeny Gradovich, preferably on the Mayweather-Canelo Pay Per View show this autumn.
Detroit middleweight J’Leon Love was fortunate to stay unbeaten after eking out a split decision over Philly contender Gabriel Rosado. Stiff Jab scored the fight 96–94 for Rosado. Rosado floored Love with a right hand at the end of the 6th round for the first knockdown of the Detroiter’s career. That forced Love to open up over the next two rounds. But Rosado was more active and stronger in the final two rounds to pull ahead on our card. A draw or close decision for Love would have been understandable, but Judge Herb Santos’ score of 97–92 was shameful.
The shortest bout of the night came courtesy of rising Mexican super bantamweight Leo Santa Cruz, who battered Alexander Munoz en route to a fifth-round stoppage. Munoz courageously chose to trade with the aggressive Santa Cruz, but he couldn’t take the younger man’s power and went down in the third. Munoz rose and courageously survived the next round, even as Santa Cruz threatened to overwhelm him.
His corner should have saved Munoz between rounds, but they didn’t, instead sending him out to answer the bell for the 5th. Santa Cruz did the merciful thing, turning up the pressure and forcing Munoz’s corner to throw in the towel just a minute into the round. Santa Cruz is a made-for-tv fighter, and could be a potential opponent for Mares down the road. But he seems better suited for 122 lbs., where he could challenge Anselmo Moreno for the division’s top slot.
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