Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero spars with Glenn Gonzales, from San Carlos, at Net Fitness Wednesday as he prepares for his upcoming fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.
A three-mile run at 5 a.m. followed by a nap cut short by an 11 a.m., eight-round sparring session with two skilled professional boxers is a training regimen that Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero is used to by now.
It isn't anything new to the three-time world champion. His work ethic, heart and determination are recognized by his peers in the business. But what he is building toward does carry a significance that is slightly foreign territory for Gilroy's prized fighter.
On Saturday, Guerrero will find himself staring into the eyes of four-time world title holder and 1992 Olympic gold medalist Joel Casamayor in an undercard bout accompanying the rematch between Juan Manual Marquez and Juan Diaz, perfectly suited for pay-per-view.
Consensus is, this is a huge fight. There aren't two ways about it.
His manager, Bob Santos knows it. His father, and trainer, Ruben knows it. And most important, Guerrero can taste it.
"This is the biggest fight of my career. This is the most experienced guy I have fought. This is it," Guerrero said as he meticulously taped his knuckles before sparring Wednesday.
"It throws me into that next level with getting to fight championship fights and the group of elite boxers. It pretty much solidifies that, hey, Guerrero is one of the guys that's going to dominate the sport. It's important. This is one of those fights that is a must-win."
Yes, "The Ghost" has three world titles, and along the way has compiled a 26-1-1 record with 18 knockouts. That resume has put Guerrero in position for the bout. However, for this fight, all that hardware is put aside and Casamayor becomes priority No. 1.
"Every fight is huge, but this one is the fight that is going to get him to be that HBO, pay-per-view fighter. It's a whole different level," Ruben Guerrero said. "He is fighting not only a good fighter, but one of the best fighters in Cuba ... in the world."
Guerrero, 27, and Casamayor, 38, have crossed paths before, although under much different circumstances. Shortly after Guerrero turned pro he trained with Casamayor (37-4-1) in Los Angeles for two years, getting a glimpse into what it took to become a top-tier boxer.
"Being with him in camp and training with him, I learned a lot from Joel Casamayor," Guerrero said. "He basically took me under his wing early in my career."
An interesting twist, but all that will assuredly be tossed on the back burner Saturday inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Casamayor, a southpaw who is known for lulling his opponents to sleep with footwork that will cover the canvas before attacking with an aggressive overhand left hook.
"You have to be ready for him," Guerrero said. "He gets in people's heads. It can be one of his tactics.
"He is so smooth and so slick with his feet. It's like he's floating through the ring."
The scouting report is clear and its shaped Guererro's training itinerary.
"The last couple weeks we have been working on changing angles," he said. "It's a little bit tricky now that the punches are coming from the other side. We are sharpening up on that. We have been working on keeping it tight, keeping my hands up, because we all know that he is a dirty fighter."
The Guerrero camp has said that Casamayor has a reputation for leading with his head before delivering his left - a wily veteran move.
"He's a real crafty fighter, smart and a lot of experience," Ruben said. "He's one of the guys that is dirty. He will like to head-butt you and find ways to get under your skin.
"We looked at some film and we have been working on some stuff. We have a gameplan for (Casamayor). We are going to be ready."
With his wife, Casey, who underwent a bone marrow transplant in January to combat leukemia, making steady positive progress to better health, Guerrero's mind is clear and focused on what he needs to do in the ring.
There is no doubt this fight can catapult the local star to unseen heights, but Guerrero is adamant at staying locked in and concentrated on the task at hand. He isn't concerned with what happens afterward.
"I don't like to think about it too much," he said. "When you think too hard about things, your mind starts to wander.
"I'm going into this fight just preparing the right way and being ready to go, so when I do get in that fight, none of that pressure is on me. I'm going in clear minded, and I want to do what I like to do and get my job done."
Guerrero preparing for important undercard bout
Guerrero wrapped up his prefight training last week and will leave for Las Vegas next. The official weigh-in is scheduled for Friday.
Guerrero-Casamayor is the second of three undercard bouts slated for Saturday, leading up to the Marquez-Diaz rematch.
In the first matchup of the evening, Jorge Linares (28-1) is pitted against Rocky Juarez (28-6-1), while two undefeated fighters in Daniel Jacobs (20-0) and Dmitry Pirog (16-0) will close out the undercard festivities.
"With Marquez and Diaz, we knew we had the Fight of the Year again," Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said in a statement.
"In addition to the main event, we have a world title fight between Jacobs and Pirog and two bouts with significant title implications.
"If you're a boxing fan, this is one night you can't miss."
Josh Weaver Josh Weaver is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at: jweaver@svnewspapers.com
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