It’s not an apparition. ‘The Ghost’ Robert Guerrero will return from a near two-year hiatus when he meets fellow veteran Victor Ortiz in an all-southpaw battle on the Manny Pacquiao vs Yordenis Ugas undercard in Las Vegas next Saturday (August 21), and the two-division world champion is predicting an exciting “dogfight”.
The 38-year-old Guerrero (36-6-1, 20 KOs & 2 NC) still harbours dreams of a third world crown, having won IBF titles at 126lbs and 130lbs and knows a win over the all-action Ortiz (32-6-3, 25 KOs) is necessary if such hopes are to become a reality.
In their fighting peaks, Guerrero-Ortiz was previously mooted as a possibility, but years later both men are keen to prove they have something left on a high-profile stage.
“This fight has been a long-time coming, as I remember it was mentioned years ago, but never happened,” said Guerrero. “I am excited for this bout since we both need a win, and the fans are very familiar with both of our styles. Victor Ortiz and I are both exciting fighters, and everyone knows this is going to be a fan-friendly dog fight. Fighting Victor is the type of bout that got me excited to have a full professional training camp. I’m grateful to be fighting on this huge FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View card, and I’m going to give it my all
“I have been working very hard for this camp, in fact, my father Ruben and I took camp to Las Vegas and brought along some young fighters to keep me motivated. I’ve been getting good sparring with DJ Zamora III, who is very fast. I’m feeding off all the young fighters who are training with me, and that is what keeps me fresh. You need to be around hungry fighters who are motivated to stay at this level, because it is easy to lose focus if it’s just you in the gym.
“At this point in my career, it is about getting the best fights. I got the rust off and now it’s about getting fights that get me and the fans excited. Everyone knows that when I fight, I bring it, and Victor Ortiz is an exciting fighter as well. I am at a point where I have done a lot in the sport, so I am not going to be fighting every other month like when I was a prospect. When you know how to fight, a layoff isn’t always a bad thing.
“A win here puts me in a position to get in contention for a world title, and that should be the goal of everyone who is fighting, to win a world title. If you’re not fighting to win a world title, you shouldn’t be in the sport. I want to win at least one more world title before it’s all said and done. It’s a lofty goal, but I believe in myself.”
Photo: Trainer/father Ruben Guerrero (left) and ex-champ Robert Gurrero (right). Photo: Team Guerrero.