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Robert Guerrero Faces a Must-Win Fight Against David Peralta

Robert Guerrero faces a must-win situation on Saturday night when he headlines PBC on Spike against the relatively unknown Argentina, David Peralta.

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Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero started boxing at the age of nine. Guerrero, trained by his father Ruben Guerrero, a former amateur champion, introduced Robert and his five brothers to boxing as young children growing up in Gilroy, California.

Guerrero earned the nickname The Ghost because even early on, he became known for his elusiveness and to haunt his opponents in the ring.

Being immersed in boxing since a very young age, Guerrero racked up an impressive amateur record and turned pro at 18 years old. Since then he has earned world titles in two weight divisions as well as interim titles in two other divisions.

Guerrero would have his world flipped upside down in 2007, when his wife Casey was diagnosed with leukemia. She relapsed for years to come before being told that she would need a bone marrow transplant to live in 2009.

Casey underwent the procedure while Guerrero chose to vacate his world title to take care of his wife. Casey has remained cancer free since her bone marrow transplant, which allowed Guerrero to start fighting again.

Guerrero has faced some of the most notable opponents in the business, including Orlando Salido, Joel Casamayor, Andre Berto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and more recently Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia.

Guerrero holds a record of 33-4-1, 18 KOs, his first loss came in 2005, but he bounced back and continued his winning streak until he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 and has lost to both Thurman and Garcia in recent years.

Guerrero has proven he is both a warrior in the ring and a virtuous man outside of it. At the age of 33, Guerrero steps back into the ring Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California to take on David Emanuel Peralta, 25-2-1, 14 KOs in a PBC on Spike main event.

The Ghost is in the heart of a trend with alternate wins and losses in his last six fights–with the hopes that this trend will continue for just one more fight. Guerrero is returning for the first time since his unanimous decision loss against Garcia, where the vacant WBC World welterweight title was up for grabs.

Though Guerrero has been idle since January, taking a tough loss to Garcia, he is excited to step back into the ring Saturday night.

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring,” said Guerrero (via PBC). “This is an exciting time for boxing fans across the world. It’s a blessing to be making my fourth appearance on the PBC series.”

The question lingering around this fight is, if Guerrero doesn’t win Saturday night, is it time for him to retire?

In Peralta, Guerrero will be going toe to toe with a tough veteran. Both fighters are in the same boat, putting a lot on the line in hopes to prove that they are still contenders in the 147-pound weight division.

Peralta is 5-1-1 in his last seven fights, with the one blemish being a split decision loss against Cristian Nestor Romero in 2015. Peralta only has one other loss, which came to Claudio Alfredo Olmedo in 2011.

This will be Peralta’s very first fight in the United States, previously competing only in his home country of Argentina.

“Everyone knows fighters from Argentina always come to fight, so I must be prepared and I’m expecting a war,” said Guerrero.

“All combat sports fans should be tuning in to see this all-action fight between two warriors. Expect to see fireworks, like all my fights.”

Many fight fans might contest that if The Ghost doesn’t come out victorious Saturday night against Peralta that he should hang up his gloves.

Guerrero fought stiff opposition from the start and he has continued to do so throughout the entirety of his career. He is an extremely entertaining fighter to watch and has put on remarkable performances against of the best fighters in the sport.

But, if he can’t defeat Peralta, who hasn’t ever fought in the states and who has yet to face competition at the highest level, is retirement the best option for Guerrero?

Guerrero seems to have a lot of fight left in him and he hasn’t spoken about the possibility of retirement just yet, but he may need to start considering it if he fails to beat Peralta.

Guerrero vs. Peralta is a few days away and both fighters are determined and ready to leave it all in the ring–with the expectation of nothing less than war.

Will Guerrero continue his alternate win-lose streak or might this be the last time we see Guerrero step into the ring?

With a lot up in the air about Guerrero’s future in boxing, this fight may or may not answer questions lingering about the possibility of retirement, but one thing that is for sure, boxing fans are in for a treat Saturday night.

 

Photo by Andy Samuelson/Premier Boxing Champions

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