Robert Guerrero had publicly campaigned for a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. for months.
Guerrero finally has his shot.
Guerrero, the interim WBC welterweight champion boxer from Gilroy, will fight undefeated pound-for-pound king Mayweather on May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Showtime announced Tuesday.
“First I thank Jesus Christ for his blessings, the fans and media for their support,” Guerrero tweeted Tuesday. “On May 4 I’m going to shock the world. This one is for the fans!”
Guerrero did not return phone messages seeking comment Tuesday.
Guerrero’s publicist, Mario Serrano, said the Gilroy native was spending time with his family before his schedule ramps up.
“Robert has been through so much adversity with his wife overcoming cancer, nothing really rattles him,” Serrano said. “This is just another day for Robert. He’s even keel. He feels he’s going to win this fight.”
The national news of Tuesday’s announcement revolved around the surprise that Mayweather has left HBO for a massive deal with Showtime. The fight will be televised on Showtime Pay Per View as part of a six-fight deal for Mayweather.
Serrano said the fight will be promoted by CBS, the parent company of Showtime, during NCAA Tournament basketball games in March.
The 29-year-old Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KOs) retained his interim WBC welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Andre Berto on Nov. 24 in Ontario, Calif., and had sought a fight against Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs) since.
“We’ve got to give Floyd a lot of credit for taking this fight,” Serrano said.
Guerrero’s co-manager, Luis DeCubas Jr., did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Mayweather, who turns 36 on Sunday, will be defending his WBC welterweight title. His last fight was a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto on May 5, 2012.
Mayweather was released from prison Aug. 3, 2012, after serving two months for domestic abuse.
