Can Robert Guerrero Become a Superstar?
There are several reasons why boxers take extended absences from the sport. In some cases, an injury can cause them to need time to heal and rehabilitate before they can get back into the ring. In other cases, boxers need time to refocus after a difficult loss. Some top boxers have lost time in the prime of their careers because of suspensions for (in the case of Antonio Margarito) using illegal gloves or testing positive for drugs or steroids (including Orlando Salido).
Robert Guerrero is a unique case. He took an extended break from boxing in 2009, giving up the IBF super featherweight title he had won in his last fight in August. However, Guerrero’s decision to temporarily walk away from the sport was not because of anything having to do with his career. His wife was battling cancer and he decided that he couldn’t devote the energy to boxing and give his wife and family the support they needed.
His wife’s cancer has apparently gone into remission and Guerrero is back in boxing. He moved up to lightweight for his comeback fight against Roberto David Arrieta on April 30 when he earned an eighth round TKO victory. His next bout will be on July 31 on the undercard to the rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz when he takes on multi-time world champion Joel Casamayor.
Guerrero (26-1-1, 18 KOs) is at a crossroads in his career but much of it has not been of his own doing. Even though his time away from the sport was brief, it still created a perception with some that he was somewhat removed from the highest level. Professional boxers are used to keeping their bodies in peak training levels at all times, something that Guerrero likely wasn’t doing during his sabbatical from the sport. A victory against Arrieta (or even against the worn-down Casamayor) might not be enough to satisfy critics who wonder if Guerrero is all the way back from his layoff.
A silver lining to his time away from the sport is that it allowed him to move all the way up to junior welterweight. If he would have kept boxing there likely would have been pressure for him to continue to defend his IBF super featherweight title. The super featherweight division has been decimated by the defection of many top fighters in recent years and it is currently far from its recent peak as one of the deepest divisions in boxing.
Moving up to lightweight has actually put Guerrero into one of the toughest divisions in boxing with plenty of big-name opponents for him to face in the months and years to come. Guerrero was originally scheduled to face Michael Katsidis before he dropped out because of his wife’s illness; this bout could happen at junior welterweight. There are several other fights which could happen for Guerrero at 140 pounds, including a bout against WBA champion Amir Khan or fights against fellow American fighters Timothy Bradley or Devon Alexander.
The bout against Katsidis was originally going to be Guerrero’s first true shot at a big fight against a top name. He’s won titles at featherweight and super featherweight during his career but has yet to have a signature performance that would allow him to transcend the ranks of other highly-respected fighters and rise to the levels of true superstardom. His victory against Klassen was probably his highest profile win to date, but Klassen is a fighter who is far more well-known in his native South Africa than in America.
Ironically, the media attention given to Guerrero for staying by his wife’s side during her battle with leukaemia has likely made him a more compelling figure than he was before he took a break from the sport. His story has touched many lives and now he has a chance to get back into the ring and make a name for himself as one of the best boxers in the world.
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