Similar to Robert Guerrero’s last opponent, Jason Litzau, Daud
Yordan sported a Ghostbusters T-shirt Thursday; Guerrero and Yordan
will square off Saturday at The Tank
SAN JOSE
The last Ghostbuster Robert Guerrero met went to sleep in the eighth round.
Apparently, Daud “Chino Latino” Yordan didn’t get the memo.
Before approaching the podium at Thursday’s press conference held at HP Pavilion’s The Grill in San Jose, Yordan unveiled a custom-made T-shirt sporting a new nickname and logo.
Formally known as “Chino,” a nickname less ironic than ill-fitting of an Indonesian since it means Chinese in Spanish, Yordan (17-0, 12 KOs) added the word “Latino” as a goof on picking up a new fan base with a win. A Ghostbusters logo on the shirt, just below the new nickname, brought about laughter amongst the media, promoters, trainers and fighters assembled, and a history lesson once Guerrero took the mic.
“I like the little Ghostbusters’ symbol on the back of the shirt,” Guerrero said, “but the last person that came out with a Ghostbusters’ song or Ghostbusters’ sign, it was one of Buddy McGirt’s fighters. It was Jason Litzau.
“I knocked him out in eight rounds.”
McGirt, a renowned trainer who will be in Mark Arnaoutis’ corner for one of the two other co-main events being televised by HBO’s Boxing After Dark broadcast Saturday at The Tank, was sitting a row behind Guerrero and wasn’t thrilled with having his name dropped.
“How did I get into this [expletive],” McGirt said.
Yordan might be thinking the same thing once he and Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KOs) touch gloves for the vacant NABO junior lightweight title. Yordan has only one career fight outside of Indonesia or Singapore, a majority decision in Las Vegas over Antonio Meza.
“Daud Yordan is a good fighter,” Guerrero said. “I’ve seen one fight on him. That’s all I could find.”
Nicknames, nondescript opponents and logos aside, Yordan, for his part, kept it short and sweet.
“I want to do my best in the fight,” he said. “I want to win. I want to bring a title to Indonesia. Thank you.”
The bout will be part of an 11-fight card taking place at The Tank, the first of its kind considering HBO has never been to San Jose.
Oscar De La Hoya, the president of Golden Boy Promotions – which recently signed The Ghost to its stable of fighters and, along with HBO, was widely credited Thursday for making such a card in such a locale happen – sat next to Guerrero during the press conference and was not shy in his praise of the Gilroy native.
“This is a fighter who’s very dedicated, very hungry to be at the top, stay at the top,” De La Hoya said.
“You can see the desire and dedication [Guerrero] has for the sport, and that’s why he’s so impressive inside that ring.”
Guerrero, a former two-time IBF featherweight champ who relinquished his title to move up a weight class, said he was excited to be fighting close to home in a venue as large as The Tank. While no one was saying Yordan will be a pushover, there is a sense that Saturday’s bout will be a launching pad to even bigger fights for Guerrero.
“Every fight, he has to win,” Guerrero’s co-manager Shelly Finkel said after the press conference. “This sport is very non-forgiving. I’d like him to make a great statement with a great performance, but then even the next fight or the fight after that has to be for a title. And that’s what’s going to [push him to the next level].”
Finkel added that possible future opponents could be WBC champ Humberto Soto or WBA titleholder Jorge Linares.
Saturday’s two other co-main events include intriguing matchups between Arnaoutis (21-2-1, 10 KOs) and Victor Ortiz (23-1-1, 18 KOs) for the NABO and USBA junior welterweight titles, and Joel Julio (34-2, 31 KOs) facing James Kirkland (24-0, 21 KOs) in a junior middleweight showdown.
“This is a card that doesn’t come around often,” De La Hoya said.
For local fans of Guerrero, who is fighting in San Jose for just the second time in his career, it’s a rare opportunity to see live in person if it’s The Ghost or his opponent that gets busted.
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Tickets for the fight are on sale at Ticketmaster.com, the HP Pavilion Ticket Office or by calling (408) 998-8497.
