For one day next month, Gilroy might as well change its
nickname. Forget the Garlic Capital
– this city is The Ghost’s Town.
For one day next month, Gilroy might as well change its nickname. Forget the Garlic Capital – this city is The Ghost’s Town.
A new world champion is bringing acclaim to Gilroy, and the Downtown Business Association wants to throw him a party. Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, the 28-year-old Gilroyan who recently won his fourth and fifth world boxing titles, will be honored with a May 15 event featuring a real boxing ring, three musical acts, presentations from city officials and – maybe most anticipated – a boxing demonstration by the newly crowned champ and his father, Ruben.
“Really, it’s long overdue. Something like this should have been done after his first world championship.” said downtown business owner John Tomasello. “The kid is really on top of the world.”
The party itself is fitting for a five-time champ: It’s on Fifth Street next to Station 55, and dinner plates and autographed photos will cost $5 each. All proceeds will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“I am really excited about it. It’s nice that they are going to do something, not just for me, but it’s also nice that proceeds are going to leukemia and lymphoma research,” Guerrero said.
Guerrero’s wife, Casey, has battled leukemia since she was first diagnosed in 2007. She received a bone marrow transplant last year and, by all accounts, her health has vastly improved.
“She’s doing great,” Guerrero said. “We’re real excited that she’s been cancer free for a year. We just have to thank God that everything is going great.”
Eric Howard, president of the Downtown Business Association, said he got the idea for the May 15 event last week when Guerrero’s older brother, also named Ruben, stopped Howard as he was walking downtown, shouting, “We ought to do something for Robert!”
Howard, Guerrero’s father and Guerrero’s older brother began hashing out plans for a possible ceremony. It didn’t take long for the plans to take shape.
“Five days later, we had ourselves an event,” Howard said.
It’s also an event that should have no shortage of volunteers, Howard said.
Station 55 will donate tri-tip sandwiches, and Garlic City Books has said it’s offering 100 coupons for free ice cream. Garlic City Billiards also has set aside 10 cases of soda for the event.
Robert Guerrero Day won’t be short on entertainment either, as musical acts Bombshell Bullys, JJ Hawg and the 40-piece Mariachi Alma de Mexico band are slated to perform free of charge.
The event will come one day after the city’s first Downtown Wine Stroll of the year, and Howard said many volunteers from that event have already asked to work the Guerrero event the following day.
“How awesome is that? Two events in a row,” Howard said. “How good is that for downtown businesses?”
He added, “The community is coming out in droves. It has been phenomenal. It’s one of those events that’s 100 percent positive. Everybody is on board. Every single person in the whole community has come out to help. It’s been really neat to see this.”
All that’s left to obtain is an event permit from the city, Howard said.
Officials from the Gilroy Police Department and the City of Gilroy will make presentations honoring Guerrero, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is set to open a donor registry booth at the event.
“The goal is to give Robert a tribute and also raise money for the society,” said Mario Serrano, Guerrero’s publicist. “I think it’s going to be good for fans to meet their local champion and give Robert a chance to give back to his hometown.”
After Guerrero’s title-clinching pummeling of Australian fighter Michael Katsidis on April 9, Serrano said, “the doors are wide open” for Guerrero’s career.
“He’s one of the best fighters in the world,” he said.
Howard agreed, saying catching a glimpse of the fast-rising Guerrero in his home environment wasn’t something to miss.
“Here is a headliner on an HBO pay-per-view fight. The guy is big.” Howard said. “He’s at the big time now.”
Coming full circle
– In February 2010, with wife Casey Guerrero weeks removed from a life-saving bone marrow transplant, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero vacated his IBF Junior Lightweight title and withdrew from a fight with Michael Katsidis scheduled for that March.
– Thirteen months later on April 9, with Casey’s cancer in remission, Guerrero finally got his crack at Katsidis and delivered a powerfully convincing unanimous decision victory to claim the WBO and WBA interim Lightweight world championship.
– Since deciding to take time off to help care for his high school sweetheart, Guerrero is 4-0, including an eighth round technical knockout win against Roberto Arrieta in April 2010, and unanimous decision victories against Joel Casamayor in July and Vicente Escbedo in November.
Tale of the tape
– Nickname: The Ghost
– Born: March 27, 1983 in Gilroy
– Record: 29-1-1, 18 knockouts
– Weight class: Lightweight – 131-135 pounds
– Current titles: Interim WBO and WBA Lightweight titles
– Past titles: WBO Intercontinental Title, IBF Featherweight Title, IBF Super Featherweight Title
ROBERT GUERRERO DAY
– Sunday, May 15, noon to 6 p.m.
– Fifth Street between Monterey Road and Eigleberry Street
– $5 for food, free music, real boxing ring and boxing demonstration
– Proceeds go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
