The Ghost’s younger brother Randy Guerrero takes to the ring
Seeking experience above everything else right now, Randy
Guerrero, brother of two-time IBF Featherweight champ Robert
”
The Ghost
”
Guerrero, feels ring battles with the best opponents is the only
way he’s going to improve as a boxer.
Taking the nickname
”
The Most
”
from promoter Rick Mello, Guerrero headlined the North/Central
Amateur Championships Saturday night in front of a near-capacity
crowd at the Elk’s Lodge in Gilroy.
The Ghost’s younger brother Randy Guerrero takes to the ring
Seeking experience above everything else right now, Randy Guerrero, brother of two-time IBF Featherweight champ Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, feels ring battles with the best opponents is the only way he’s going to improve as a boxer.
Taking the nickname “The Most” from promoter Rick Mello, Guerrero headlined the North/Central Amateur Championships Saturday night in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Elk’s Lodge in Gilroy.
Although he fell to opponent Andy Denecse, 17, of San Jose, Guerrero, 16, lost by just two points on the decision.
“It’s experience for me,” said Guerrero (5-2) after the fight. “I fought an open fighter with 14 fights.”
Guerrero’s father and trainer, Ruben Guerrero, felt his son did great in the ring on Saturday.
“These guys are a different type of fighter, more moving around the ring, more jumping around,” Ruben said. “Randy had to catch him a little. But either one could have won. It was a close fight.”
Randy Guerrero said he needed to improve upon his footwork and his jab, but he didn’t feel discouraged at all by the close two-point decision.
“The more he fights, the better he’ll get,” Ruben said. “The ones you want to win are the big, national fights. Those are the ones that count.”
On the 11-fight undercard Saturday, Hollister’s Tony Corrales, 17, won by a unanimous decision against Luis Villagomez, who was unattached out of Fresno.
Trainer Zeke Lopez of Bull Dog Boxing Gym felt Corrales could have ended the fight if he wanted to, though.
“He got a little tired and lost his power when you’re supposed to put it together,” Lopez said. “The kid he fought was a tough kid, but I honestly thought Tony could have stopped it.”
Corrales admitted to being a little out of shape.
“He was better than I expected … He was quick, but he didn’t hit hard,” Corrales said. “When I know someone’s quick, I try to pace myself and go from there.”
Fellow Bull Dog boxer Jeff Polston, 18, had his first career fight against Steve Delgado, 17, on Saturday night.
The fight was stopped by the referee, however, one minute and 48 seconds into the first round after Polston was given two standing eight-counts.
Being his first fight, though, the 141-pound Polston admitted to being anxious.
“I would have done better if I had listened to my coach,” Polston said afterward. “I just went in there and started to fight his fight.”
He has trained with Lopez for two years.
“He went in too excited,” Lopez added. “It’s a totally different thing when you’re sparring in the gym and fighting in a ring with people there.”
“He’s got power in his hook and power in his punch and he went out there and wanted to kill this guy. But you’ve got to go out there and set things up. That’s what boxing is about.”
Fighters from the Bull Dog Boxing Gym in Hollister are expected to form a local card during the Hollister Motorcycle Rally on July 11-13.
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero was present for the event Saturday, and spoke briefly before his brother Randy’s bout.
Guerrero relinquished his IBF Featherweight title last week, with plans on moving up to the 130-pound Jr. Lightweight division.
“Pacquiao won tonight,” said Guerrero, who was referencing Manny Pacquiao’s ninth-round knockout of David Diaz to earn the WBC Lightweight title. “So that’s good for me. We’ll be on his tail.”
