By Marc David
Bob Santos remembers the first time he saw Robert Guerrero.
“The Ghost” was just 15 years old, but Santos couldn’t believe the skill and poise of the skinny youngster from Gilroy.
“He was just an amazing person to be around,” said Santos, who co-manages Guerrero with Shelly Finkel. “The maturity, the way he carried himself were amazing. Although he was only 15, he carried himself like a 25, 30-year-old.”
Perhaps that’s the result of clean living and dedication. At a time when more high-profile fighters like Mike Tyson, Trevor Berbick and Riddick Bowe were imploding, Guerrero was quietly working his way through the amateur ranks with a sense of purpose he maintains to this day.
“You could see something special in Robert,” Santos said. “He was not a premier guy that people (promoters and managers) were going after. You look at the 2000 Olympians where people were throwing millions of dollars and bonuses at. And it’s Robert Guerrero fighting for a world title.”
Boxing has traditionally been a bastion for the heavyweights. But the Russians rule the heavyweight division and there are no great Americans on the horizon. With Roy Jones, Jr., and Bernard Hopkins at the end of their careers, there are no name super middleweights or light heavyweights.
That leaves it to the smaller fighters, like Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Diego Corrales and Miguel Cotto to carry the mantle. It also means there is plenty of room for the up-and-comers like Guerrero to join the ranks of popular fighters.
Guerrero couldn’t be toiling at a better time. With names such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez and Chris John in the featherweight and super featherweight ranks, there are plenty of opportunities for lucrative bouts on the horizon.
But first is Eric Aiken, who doesn’t have the name or status of the above-named fighters but who is as hungry as Guerrero. It makes for a dangerous fight for “The Ghost” if he isn’t at his best tonight.
Guerrero, though, seems to have a sense of purpose and an idea of everything at stake. He knows that a bad night like he experienced in the first fight with Gamaliel Diaz knocks him down a few pegs and forces him to work his way up again.
“The title fight is overdue,” Guerrero said. “I’ve been ready for quite a while.”
Tonight is put-up time for Guerrero.
