CSNBayArea.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Robert Guerrero will flaunt a combined 74 professional wins between them heading into next Saturday’s WBC/Ring Magazine welterweight title prizefight in Las Vegas (6 p.m., Showtime PPV).
However, the only blemishes on either record belong to Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KOs). Nine years ago, the Gilroy native incurred a one-round technical draw when Julian Rodriguez was hit on the break and unable to continue; in 2005, he dropped a shocking 12-round split decision to Gamaliel Diaz that he would later avenge by knockout.
That’s not to say Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs) has never come close to tasting defeat during a storied 17-year pro career. It’s just that such windows of opportunity have been few and far between for the Las Vegas resident.
With the defensive labyrinth he presents and uncanny ability to strike with venomous counter right hands and accurate left hooks from various linear planes, obtaining the meaning of Stonehenge or proving the Magic Bullet Theory, I’ve heard, carry better odds on the MGM Grand casino floor than a Mayweather loss.
Consequently, any brief flashes of vulnerability he’s shown over time have been magnified and dissected by boxing junkies in hopes of piecing together the ultimate anatomy of an upset.
So what has worked? Befitting his nickname, does Guerrero have a “Ghost” of a chance on Saturday? CSNBayArea.com gathered what little reconnaissance could be found on Floyd’s fallibility and recapitulated it into three key aspects.
1. PERPETUAL PRESSURE
To illustrate Mayweather’s dominance, every single win on his ledger has ended by either knockout or unanimous decision except one—a split decision against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.
Mayweather ascended from the 147-pound welterweight limit to the 154-pound junior middleweight class for the first time, and the bigger but past-prime De La Hoya took advantage. He pumped left jabs early and often into Mayweather’s face and chest, following them up with nonstop pressure on the ropes.
“The jab is key to unlocking that Mayweather code. I was hitting Floyd with jabs all night,” De La Hoya told Showtime last month. “When you fight Floyd, you must bang the arms. Bang the elbows. Do everything it takes to take Floyd out of his comfort zone.”
Even if most of De La Hoya’s shots failed to land, the activity alone was designed to stunt his foe’s offense and punch output. Right or wrong, the judges rewarded him for it.
In fact, De La Hoya held an 86-85 lead on two of the three official scorecards heading into the 10th round before succumbing to fatigue over the final three frames. Guerrero is cognizant of this fact but has vowed a different outcome.
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