Philadelphia owns the moniker The City of Brotherly Love. But for this summer, consider South Lake Tahoe, The City of Brotherly Boxing.
Family has always been the lynchpin throughout the rise of Gilroy world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero’s career. Whether it’s moral support or corner support, the Guerreros are there for one another.
As Guerrero trains for his latest career-defining world championship bout versus Selcuk Aydin, younger brother Randy Guerrero, 20, too has his eyes set on that July 28 evening inside HP Pavilion in San Jose – the site of his professional boxing debut.
“Seeing him out here training, pushing himself to the limit – especially with the way I work out, because I work out like a maniac – and him being able to keep up makes camp that much better,” Robert said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I have my brother right there next
to me and I’m watching him get better day by day. It’s exciting to see him taking that step that I took.”
A focused Robert Guerrero, who is challenging Aydin for the World Boxing Council Interim Welterweight belt, said he is still readily available in between his rigorous regimen to dole out tips, tactics and advice to the youngest of six brothers.
“When I see him doing something wrong, or if I think there is something he can try that’s different, I’m right there to let him know,” Robert, 29, said. “It’s been nice to be able to give him advice not just as a brother but also as a world class champion fighter.
Randy will debut at featherweight and is relishing in the experience to train with his five-time world champion brother and to be molded into a winner himself by his seasoned, knowledgeable and get-down-to-business father, Ruben.
“It’s more motivation. My brother is really great,” Randy said, adding that he is certainly soaking up every bit of boxing that he can. “Everything – just how hard he works and his determination. He set the bar high.”
Randy, who simply described the daily grind of training camp as “brutal,” has watched his brother flourish to a 29-1-1 professional record and is often by his side before and after bouts at every level.
He is now anxious to follow in those footsteps.
“I’m excited to show everyone in Gilroy and the Bay Area what I can do,” Randy said. “I’m looking forward to putting my skills out there in the pro game.”
As the date approaches, the verbal jabs between Robert and the man they call Mini Mike Tyson are starting to swirl. At a news conference last week in Istanbul, Aydin reinforced his plan for when he and Guerrero square off.
“I give props to Robert Guerrero for accepting to fight me,” Aydin said. “He is a three-division world champion and very obviously an excellent boxer. But he has just no idea what’s coming for him. He has never been in the ring with anybody as determined, powerful and heavy-handed as me. I will do what I have to do to take the world championship belt home to Turkey.”
All that is white noise to Guerrero.
“I don’t care about that. It just kind of adds fuel to the fire,” he said. “It makes you want to get out there and punish the guy.”
The only punishment being handed out is by Ruben, apparently, who is just fine with shouldering double training duties as one son fights for another world title and the other lays the groundwork fort his career.
It’s a lot of extra energy out of him, but he is doing great,” Robert said of his dad – who apparently never tires, deciding a 30-minute jog was in order. “I’m getting ready for the world championship so he works mitts with me first while he’s fresh and them he’ll work Randy after. He’s doing a tremendous job on working us. Where I’m at is a very important step (in my career), and he has done a great job making the adjustments.”
