Robert Guerrero back in ring against David Peralta in August – then what?

Robert Guerrero

Robert Guerrero/Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions

 

Former world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero has lost three of his past five bouts. But they were to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Keith “One Time” Thurman and most recently Danny Garcia. No shame there.

Guerrero, 33, will get back in the ring for the first time since what was a good – yet unsuccessful – showing against Garcia for a vacant welterweight world title in January at Staples Center. He’ll headline an Aug. 27 card at Honda Center when he takes on David Peralta of Argentina in the welterweight main event (on Spike).

American fans know little of Peralta (25-2-1, 14 KOs), who has fought exclusively in Argentina. Guerrero seems to know something about him, though.

“My opponent is a tough fighter from Argentina,” said Guerrero, of Gilroy. “Everybody knows that fighters from Argentina always come to fight, so I must be prepared and I’m expecting a war.”

From here on, it will be interesting to see what Guerrero does in his career. He would seem to be a way off from another title shot, as he is ranked in the top 15 of just one of the four organizations. And it’s a No. 13 ranking, so no one is going to owe him anything soon.

Considering his showing against Garcia, Guerrero – just 33 – certainly isn’t ready to hang ’em up. But it doesn’t seem he would have enough to beat any of the champions in the division, though he would appear to have the best shot against Jessie Vargas. The other three are Thurman, Garcia and Kell Brook, who is moving up to middleweight to challenge Gennady Golovkin for his title in September in England.

Here’s a thought: Guerrero could move down to junior welterweight. He never really did fight there, as he went from lightweight straight to welterweight; Guerrero had one fight technically in the junior welterweight division when he weighed 138 for Joel Casamayor, but he only weighed 133 and 134 his next two fights before moving to welterweight. (Lightweight is 135). Guerrero weighed in at 145 1/2 pounds just a year ago for a fight against Aron Martinez. He is not a big welterweight at all.

Of Guerrero’s seven fights at welterweight, he has weighed in at as high as the 147-pound limit just twice.

Not that the 140-pound junior welterweight division would be a cake walk to a title. Viktor Postol and Terence Crawford are two of the champions. Those two beasts will take on each other Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

 

 

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Viktor Postol can’t say enough about Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach

Viktor Postol/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

All one has to do is spend a little time with Viktor Postol, and it’s obvious this guy is a class act. It is therefore not surprising to hear what he has to say about his trainer, Freddie Roach, who has trained Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) for his past three fights. Included therein was Postol’s 10th-round knockout of Lucas Matthysse this past October at StubHub Center to win a vacant junior welterweight world title.

“When I first met Freddie Roach in his gym in Hollywood, I saw a man who was fully committed to his job,” said Postol, who Saturday will take on Terence Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) in a title-unification bout at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). “I saw that this was the job of his entire life. He lived in, and lived for, boxing.  No matter how many people are in the gym training, Freddie always finds time for everyone to give advice and correct something for somebody.  The same was in my case as he always put his heart and soul into my training as a boxer and anyone can see the result of our working together.”

Postol, 32, is 28-0 with 12 knockouts, 3-0 with two knockouts under Roach.

 

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Terence Crawford says he feels ‘no pressure’ to be boxing’s next superstar

Terence Crawford/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

Boxing always seems to be looking for its next star. Floyd Mayweather Jr. has retired. Manny Pacquiao did, too, for a moment. But he’s coming back for a fight in the fall. Still, he’s about done, as well.

Terence Crawford, a junior welterweight champion from Omaha, Neb., would seem to have a shot at taking the aforementioned throne. The expectation is no burden to him, either, or so he says.

There is no pressure on me being looked at as boxing’s next superstar, but there is a lot of hard work in becoming one,” said Crawford, who Saturday will take on Viktor Postol of the Ukraine in a title-unification bout at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). “I’m really excited to be on the big stage and I’m on that big stage because I paid my dues in the gym and in the ring. That’s the reason I have accomplished so much as a fighter — pride of performance — and that’s why I am going to win on July 23.

“If I’m going to solidify my position as the new face of boxing, it starts by unifying the 140 pound division.”

Crawford, 28, is 28-0 with 20 knockouts. Postol, 32, is 28-0 with 12 knockouts.

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Viktor Postol is playing psychological games with Terence Crawford

Viktor Postol/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

Viktor Postol is coming off a 10th-round knockout of hard-hitting Lucas Matthysse this past October at StubHub Center. Postol is now just eight days from a junior welterweight title-unification bout against Terence Crawford on July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

It sounds like Postol is trying to get into Crawford’s head by suggesting that Matthysse is a better fighter than Crawford, who has won titles in two weight classes and possesses a record of 28-0 with 20 knockouts.

It is my subjective opinion, but it is my opinion from what I have seen and from the opposition that Matthysse has had before he fought me and the opposition that Crawford has had,” Postol said this week during a conference call. “I think that Matthysse is a better fighter and more experienced fighter.”

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) won his title with the win over Matthysse.

 

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Freddie Roach has threatening message for Terence Crawford and his team

Viktor Postol/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach on Thursday had some rather threatening words for the Terence Crawford camp. Crawford and Viktor Postol, who is trained by Roach, will tangle in a junior welterweight title-unification bout July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

During a conference call, Roach intimated Team Crawford might be taking a victory for granted.

“I think this is a great opportunity,” Roach said. “I think that maybe they (Team Crawford) are underestimating us a little bit. But they’ll pay for that.”

Crawford, 28, is from Omaha, Neb. He is 28-0 with 20 knockouts. Postol, 32, is from the Ukraine. He is 28-0 with 12 knockouts.

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Don’t look now, but Manny Pacquiao is going to fight again in the fall

April 9,2016. Las Vegas NV.  (in Wht/Yell tnks)/Manny Pacquiao  knocks down Timothy Bradley in the 9th round Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden hotel  Manny Pacquiao took the win by unanimous decision for the international  welterweight championship.Photo by Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

Manny Pacquiao connects to the face of Timothy Bradley in their April 9 fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas/Photo by Gene Blevins, L.A. Daily News

 

Moments after he handily defeated Timothy Bradley in their rubber match April 9 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao was asked if he indeed was going to retire like he said he would.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m going to go home and spend time with my family and I want to serve the people.”

Pacquiao, 37, was running for a seat in the Senate in his native Philippines at the time. He won in May, and is now a member. With that out of the way, Pacquiao has decided to make his retirement a short one by fighting at least one more time.

That figures to be either Oct. 29 or Nov. 5 in Las Vegas, his promoter, Bob Arum, said Tuesday. Arum did not seem the least bit surprised that Pacquiao wants to lace up the gloves again.

“I always knew he wanted to fight if the Senate allowed it, and the president of the Senate told him he can fight if it’s after the 15th (of October) because that week they were voting on the budget,” Arum said via telephone Tuesday evening.

Arum was asked about the opponent, and he gave a long list.

Terence Crawford is possible,” said Arum, who is promoting the July 23 junior welterweight title-unification bout between Crawford and Viktor Postol at MGM Grand (on HBO pay-per-view). “Postol, if he wins, is possible. Jessie Vargas is possible, (Danny) Garcia is possible. They’re all possible.”

Even if Crawford or Postol were to insist Pacquiao fight at junior welterweight, that shouldn’t be a problem because Pacquiao is a small welterweight. Vargas and Garcia are both welterweight champions, so either of them work as well.

A venue is not yet secured, and Arum is working on all that now.

Another avenue that could be taken would be a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather, 39, announced his retirement after defeating Andre Berto this past September. But Mayweather could make it 50-0 with another victory over Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs).

Mayweather won a unanimous decision over Pacquiao in a welterweight title-unification bout in May 2015. Afterward, Pacquiao revealed he fought with a torn rotator cuff. Pacquiao had surgery, came back 11 months later and fought very well in winning a rather wide decision over Bradley.

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Terence Crawford is where he is because he stays true to the business

Terence Crawford is shown here after stopping Dierry Jean in the 10th round this past October in Crawford’s native Omaha, Neb. It was Crawford’s first defense of his junior welterweight title/Associated Press photo by LM Otero

 

Junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford on Tuesday from training camp was asked if Viktor Postol is going to be the toughest test of his career when they square off in a title-unification bout July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). Crawford’s response said a lot about the way he goes about his business.

“On paper you could make a case that Postol will be the toughest man I have faced inside the ring, but I won’t really know that until I fight him on July 23,” Crawford said. “When I go into camp, I always assume the opponent I’m training for will be my toughest test.  It’s the only way I know how to train. I respect any fighter who laces up the gloves and enters the ring to battle with me. I take no opponent for granted and I take nothing in training camp for granted. We are by the book in camp. We skip nothing in gym training or conditioning.”

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) intimated he can’t achieve his goals by half-stepping. That’s why he’s fighting Postol.

“Against Postol, I’m not just defending my belt, I’m out to take his, too,” said Crawford, 28. “That’s the reason for taking such a tough fight. It is because I wanted to fight the best fighter out there, to beat the best fighter out there, to show that I am the best fighter in the division.”

Postol, of the Ukraine, is 32. He is 28-0 with 12 knockouts.

 

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VIDEO: HBO takes a look at world champion Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

Terence Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) and Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) will square off in a junior welterweight title-unification bout July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). As a prelude to the bout, HBO has produced “Terence Crawford: My Fight.” It’s an in-depth look at one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighters.

Check it out here.

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Thomas Karpency, Oleksandr Gvozdyk to tangle underneath Crawford-Postol

Thomas Karpency/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

 

When the super middleweight title fight between champion Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico and Dominik Britsch of Germany slated for July 23 fell out because of a hand injury sustained by Ramirez this week, that left promoter Bob Arum looking for another fight to fill out the HBO pay-per-view event at MGM Grand in Las Vegas that will be headlined by the junior welterweight title-unification bout between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol.

That spot has been filled with a 10-round bout between light heavyweights Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Thomas Karpency. It will be one of four bouts on the pay-per-view feed.

Karpency, of Adah, Pa., is 26-5-1 with 15 knockouts. Gvozdyk, of the Ukraine, is 10-0 with eight knockouts.

Ramirez-Britsch was to be the semi-main event on this card. That now will be Oscar Valdez (19-0, 17 KOs) of Mexico taking on Matias Rueda (26-0, 23 KOs) of Argentina for a vacant featherweight title.

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Gilberto Ramirez out at least five months after tearing hand; defense against Dominik Britsch postponed

Gilberto Ramirez/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

Fresh off making history by becoming the first from Mexico to win a world title at super middleweight, the blossoming career of Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs) hit a roadblock this week when he sustained a hand injury that will prevent him from making his first defense July 23 against Dominik Britsch of Germany.

They were to square off underneath the junior welterweight title-unification bout between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

The following is a statement from hand specialist, Dr. Steven Shin, who examined Ramirez:

“Gilberto Ramirez sustained an injury to the third knuckle of his right hand after a punch to the head of his sparring partner, July 5, 2016.  I examined Gilberto later that day, and ordered an MRI of his right hand. The MRI revealed a complete tear of the ulnar sagittal band at the 3rd metacarpophalangeal joint (knuckle) of his right hand, a region of the hand that is commonly injured in boxers.  Gilberto will undergo surgery this Friday for repair of this injury.  We anticipate that the soonest he will be able to fight competitively will be in approximately five months.”

Top Rank Inc. is promoting this card. Company spokesman Fred Sternburg said promoter Bob Arum is still trying to put together another semi-main event. It could be that another fight already scheduled on the card will fill that spot.

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