Robert Guerrero and Floyd Mayweather Jr. shared a heated exchange of words during a Showtime event in March.
But Mayweather might have more respect for the Gilroy fighter than he let on during that first face-to-face encounter.
“Robert Guerrero is a tough fighter, a solid, busy fighter,” Mayweather told reporters Sunday in Atlanta. “He only has one loss, (is) a champion in multiple weight classes. Let’s see what he can do in there. I am sure he is going to be able to make adjustments in that squared circle just like I can, so we will have to see what happens on May 4.”
Mayweather spoke to reporters in Atlanta, where he was promoting the fight during the Final Four. CBS, which televised the NCAA Tournament, is cross-promoting the Mayweather-Guerrero bout because it is the parent company of Showtime.
Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KOs) will face pound-for-pound king Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs) for Mayweather’s WBC welterweight title May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be televised on Showtime Pay Per View.
Guerrero, the interim WBC welterweight champion, is currently training in Las Vegas for the fight. The six-time, four-division world champion who was born and raised in Gilroy set up his showdown against Mayweather with a 12-round unanimous decision over Andre Berto on Nov. 24.
“(Guerrero) did something right to get here,” Mayweather said. “I am sure he is going to be on his ‘A’ game, but I am not really worried about what he can do. He needs to worry about what I can do because I have already proven what I can do in the ring.”
Guerrero hasn’t responded to phone calls, messages or texts since being arrested March 28 on gun charges at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Guerrero was arraigned later March 28 on a four-count criminal complaint charging him with one count of criminal possession of a firearm and three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Queens County District Attorney’s office. One day after celebrating his 30th birthday, Guerrero had been arrested and charged with illegally traveling with an unloaded pistol and three unloaded high-capacity bullet magazines.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told the Gilroy Dispatch on April 2 that Guerrero traveled with the gun because the Gilroy fighter meant to use it at a Las Vegas shooting range as a hobby.
The weapon, a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber gun, is registered to Guerrero in California, according to Kevin Ryan, director of communications for the Queens County District Attorney’s office. However, the gun is not registered in New York, which is among the toughest states in the country on gun laws. Guerrero could face up to seven years in prison if convicted, according to the Queens County District Attorney’s office.
Guerrero’s court date is May 14.
MAYWEATHER LICENSED
As expected, the Nevada Athletic Commission licensed Mayweather to fight during its monthly meeting Monday.
The move was considered a formality, considering the Guerrero-Mayweather bout became a done deal Feb. 19, when Mayweather’s camp announced a record six-fight deal with Showtime.
OFFICIALS NAMED
Also Monday, the NAC announced that Nevada referee Robert Byrd would work the Guerrero-Mayweather bout.
Byrd has worked two Guerrero fights during his career, but May 4 will be his first Mayweather match.
Judges selected to work the fight were Duane Ford and Jerry Roth of Nevada, and New York’s Julie Lederman.
