Robert
”
The Ghost
”
Guerrero won’t be fighting just to keep his IBF Featherweight
title tonight. He’ll also be fighting for his wife and thousands of
others.
Guerrero set to take
on Honorio tonight
Josh Koehn – Staff writer
jk****@sv**********.com
Tucson, AriZ.
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero won’t be fighting just to keep his IBF Featherweight title tonight. He’ll also be fighting for his wife and thousands of others.
On Oct. 26, Guerrero’s wife Casey, 23, was diagnosed with leukemia and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment.
“She’s doing good. She’s getting better,” Guerrero said by phone after Friday’s weigh-in. “It’s just another bump in the road that we got to get over and we’re gonna do it.
“This is dedicated to her, to everybody that’s gone through it and knows what (leukemia is) about.”
Leukemia is a blood cancer that can be diagnosed as four different types, but always starts in a cell in bone marrow, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Web site.
The couple have an 8-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter.
The past eight days have been incredibly stressful for the Gilroy native (20-1-1. 12 KOs), who stayed by his wife’s bedside the past week rather than leaving for Tucson, Ariz. on Tuesday as expected. He arrived at Desert Diamond Casino just hours before the fight’s final press conference Friday. Still, Guerrero says he’s ready for his opponent Martin Honorio (24-3-1, 13 KOs).
“You know, I’m doing fine mentally,” Guerrero said. “I’m ready to go. I’m just gonna leave it in God’s hands and he’s taking care of it.”
The news of his wife’s illness was another blow in a series of setbacks leading up to the bout. Guerrero’s original opponent Rocky Juarez was replaced by Honorio after Jorge Barrios backed out of the main event due to an eye condition and Juarez was substituted to take on Juan Manuel Marquez. The entire card scheduled for Sept. 15 in Las Vegas was then canceled when Marquez suffered an infection on his hand. The fight was then rescheduled to Nov. 3, moved to Tucson and changed from an HBO PPV broadcast to Showtime. The fight will be broadcast tape-delayed tonight at 10 p.m.
Guerrero originally tipped the scales at 127 1/2 pounds Friday – just over the Featherweight title mandated limit of 126 pounds – but was able to cut the extra baggage in plenty of time. The Ghost said he expects to be as heavy as 140 pounds when the bell rings.
“It’ll be mostly from water weight, rehydrating and stuff,” he said.
The theatrics and chatter typical of a Don King-style production were nowhere to be seen according to Guerrero.
“There were no words at the press conference,” he said, “strictly business. Stare down and get ready to roll.”
For those who will be pulling for The Ghost, the champ wanted to reassure his fans that he is ready.
“Physically, I’m feeling great. I’m in great shape. I’ve been waiting to fight for a long time,” Guerrero said. “They can expect me to come out and fight because I’m coming to fight … Just watch, it’s gonna be a good fight.”
