Robert Guerrero to face Gamaliel Diaz for second time in Oakland
tonight, shot at WBC title fight on the line
Gilroy – When the opening round bell rings before the rematch between Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Gamaliel Diaz at the Oakland Arena tonight, it will signal the start to the most important fight of the Gilroy boxer’s career to date.
And Guerrero knows he’s lucky to have it.
“Diaz beat me,”the 23-year-old fighter said Thursday, shortly after seeing Diaz in person at the pre-fight press conference. “It’s a rematch and it is the biggest fight (of my career).”
Diaz, the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) No. 3-ranked featherweight who handed Guerrero his first loss on Dec. 5, was originally scheduled to travel to England to take on No. 1-ranked Nicky Cook June 16 to get closer to a shot at a WBC title bout with Featherweight Champion Takashi Koshimoto. But that fight fell through when shin splints forced Cook to stop training.
So that Diaz (20-5-2, 9 KO’s) could still have a chance to move up the rankings, the fighter was informed by the WBC that instead he could fight the next-highest ranked available fighter. The Ghost (17-1-1, 10 KO’s), currently ranked No. 6, was that contender.
“It’s one of those things that doesn’t happen,” Guerrero said. “Diaz was right there for the eliminator and that rarely happens especially with fights like that, especially title eliminators. I’m real fortunate to be getting in with Diaz (tonight) and it couldn’t have went any better.”
At the same time, Guerrero won’t be letting his gratitude show once inside the ring.
“I’m coming out to perform. I’m ready to go. It ain’t gonna be the same fight between us,” Guerrero said. “(Diaz) made a big mistake by signing that rematch.”
When the two fighters met in Lemoore Dec. 5, Diaz was the early aggressor who was able to keep Guerrero under control until late in the fight. Judges scored the split decision 115-112, 114-113, 112-115 in favor of Diaz.
In the rematch, Guerrero plans on being the fighter pressing the action.
“He fights with his hands down,” southpaw Guerrero said of Diaz. “He does a lot of movement, but when you jam him with pressure, he can’t really get off punches…He has that style where he needs space to get his punches off. I want to get in there and throw him off and put a tremendous amount of pressure on him and break his confidence.”
Confidence is something Diaz, whose hasn’t fought since he beat Guerrero over six months ago, has plenty of right now. The 25-year-old fighter out of Morelia, Michoacan is unbeaten in his last 19 bouts.
“Guerrero says he can fight better than he did in our first fight. Well, I know I can fight better,” Diaz said in a ShoBox press release on Monday. “The rematch will prove the first fight was not a fluke and that I am for real.”
Guerrero bounced back from his first loss with a third-round TKO of Sandro Marcos May 18 at Fight Night at the Tank at HP Pavilion in San Jose. Though he’s had more action in the ring than the Mexican fighter over the past six months, Guerrero isn’t underestimating Diaz’s readiness.
“He was prepared for his fight with Nicky Cook…so he’s ready,” Guerrero said. “I just hope he’s ready for me.”
Of course, having consecutive home turf fights is beneficial for the Ghost.
“A lot of people were hurt because I lost (last time) and that I lost in such a close decision,” Guerrero said. “(Since the last fight) a lot have said ‘Now you’re back.'”
He added, “The fans do make a difference. You want to always come out and perform.”
On the undercard are two six-round super middleweight fights featuring the Dirrell brothers, Andre and Anthony. Both are unbeaten.
