Floyd Mayweather Jr. has 'interest' in
Robert Guerrero as next foe
November 26, 2012, 6:38 p.m.
Robert Guerrero’s promoter initiated
conversations with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s
representatives Monday with hopes of
staging a fight between the pair in the
spring.
“Interest is there,” said Golden Boy
Promotions Chief Executive Richard
Schaefer.
Guerrero (31-1) produced a stirring
unanimous-decision victory over former
world welterweight champion Andre Berto
Saturday night at Citizens Business Bank
Arena in Ontario.
Guerrero knocked down Berto in each of
the first two rounds, then pressed the
action against the bigger man, withstanding
heavy right-handed uppercuts, out-
punching Berto and winning the final two
rounds.
Schaefer declined to comment regarding
when and where a Mayweather-Guerrero
fight might occur.
“It’s a process, one that has begun … I have
a site and date in mind, but those
conversations are best served now to take
place behind closed doors,” Schaefer said.
Schaefer was in contact Saturday night with
Mayweather Jr.’s advisor, Leonard Ellerbe,
and the fighter’s manager, Al Haymon, who
also manages Berto.
Mayweather (43-0, 26 knockouts) hasn’t
fought since May 5, when he defeated
Miguel Cotto by unanimous decision.
Shortly after, Mayweather served more than
60 days in Clark County (Nev.) jail after
pleading guilty to domestic violence
charges.
While Manny Pacquiao has pushed
Mayweather to fight him, telling reporters
he will accept a 45 percent split of the
purse to Mayweather’s 55 percent and also
submit to all Mayweather requests such as
being introduced in the ring last and having
his name listed first on banners, the
animosity between those parties has
resulted in three failed negotiations in the
past.
Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for
a fourth time Dec. 8, and Pacquiao
promoter Bob Arum has said a possible
alternate foe to Mayweather in the spring is
Oxnard’s action fighter Brandon Rios.
Schaefer, who has helped promote all of
Mayweather’s fights since his record-
breaking date against Oscar De La Hoya in
2007, said Guerrero “put an exclamation
point on the fact he deserves to fight
Mayweather,” by defeating Berto.
Guerrero also brings a compelling story to
the fight. The Gilroy fighter gave up a world
title belt in 2010 to help his wife, Casey,
successfully battle through cancer.
With Mayweather moving toward Guerrero
as an opponent, that leaves Mexico star
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to root heavily
Saturday night for Cotto to win the Wolrld
Boxing Assn. belt against champion Austin
Trout in New York.
Alvarez has May 4 reserved at MGM Grand
in Las Vegas, and had previously told
Schaefer he wanted a super-fight that night
against either Mayweather, Cotto or Sergio
Martinez, who is likely to have a rematch
against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in his next
major bout.