Robert
”
The Ghost
”
Guerrero shows his skills off at Hollister gym
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero bobbed and weaved around the ring at Main Street Kickboxing Gym in Hollister Saturday, a group of children stood mesmerized.
With eyes wide, they each took turns whispering back and forth until one boy finally asked the question many of them were wondering.
“Is that real gold?” asked 10-year-old Hollister native Tyler Rodriguez.
For a brief moment, the prizefighter, who roughly 100 people had come to see work out in preparation for his Feb. 29 title defense, was taking a back seat to his own trophies. Lying on the edge of the ring were two sparkling, gold-plated IBF Featherweight title belts.
When Rodriguez’ younger brother and sister, Tristan and Summer, were asked if they would wear the belts, assuming they owned a pair, the discussion turned serious.
“I wouldn’t,” said 6-year-old Tristan. “It would get all dirty.”
Summer, 8, wasn’t so sure.
“I would,” she said. “I would wear it every day.”
Only one person could rightly lay claim to the belts, however, and that was the 24-year-old champ from Gilroy. Letting local fans get a glimpse of the hardware, and what he is doing to prepare for his third career title defense, Guerrero went through several steps of his training.
First, he showed how he wraps his hands to fight while also answering questions from fans. The queries ranged from what Guerrero does before a bout to what people can expect to see when he takes on Jason “The American Boy” Litzau at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.
“There’s a lot of flaws in his defense,” Guerrero said about Litzau. “I’ve seen it his whole career. We’re working on a gameplan to capitalize on it.”
Before moving on to a sparring session with his younger brother Randy, the workout morphed into a clinic as The Ghost gave some insights to a couple local boxers.
Bringing 12-year-olds Raul Mora and Isaiah Diaz into the ring, Guerrero worked with each on proper punching.
“He was telling me how to throw uppercuts and hooks and not to go too far,” Diaz said, “because it takes you out of position.”
A position that could be shared by all in attendance was the benefit of having a local star interact with the kids that look up to him.
“I think (seeing him up close) they realize it’s something possible for them to do,” said Main Street Kickboxing Gym owner Danny Kelly. “They see Robert, who’s a normal guy, and believe it’s something they can be.”
By the time Guerrero ended the meet-and-greet by signing autographs, one young fan was left contemplating his future.
Seven-year-old Dallas Guiterrez, who lives in Gilroy and wrestles for the Gilroy Hawks club team, wasn’t so sure he still wanted to be a wrestler, or become a boxer.
He flip-flopped several times until being reminded about the gold belts.
“Boxing champion,” Guiterrez said definitively.
And with that, the champ scores another victory.
