Robert Guerrero is entering the most important match of his life against Floyd Mayweather, but we know that he will be fine regardless of what happens.
Like his opponent, "The Ghost" had to take a year off between bouts. This occurred 2011 after defeating Michael Katsidis for the Interim WBA and WBO Lightweight Championships. However, his time off was not due to being in jail.
Instead, Guerrero took a leave of absence from his sport to support his wife, Casey, and her battle with leukemia. He discussed the struggles during this time period in a recent interview on Showtime.
While this would destroy most people, the couple's ability to fight the disease and come through stronger really shows a great deal of mental toughness.
In a sport where simply staying on your feet is an accomplishment and surviving 12 rounds is a battle, this might be the most important trait you can have. While Guerrero might be overmatched physically against Mayweather, the mental aspect will go a long way.
Casey was well aware of how important this is going into the bout (via Ryan Maquinana of Comcast SportsNet):
"No one’s going to intimidate Robert. No one can do that. We’ve been through struggles in the past. [To win] will mean everything to us. Big fight, big payday, we can go buy our house. It would just change our lives."
This fight itself is a bit of a prize for Guerrero's long career. The ability to get a high-profile event with a big payout is well-deserved for a fighter of his stature.
He has an incredible 31-1-1 record as a professional, slowly working his way up the ranks. His only loss was against Gamaliel Diaz in 2005, but he avenged that defeat a year later.
While he was never one of the most charismatic fighters around, his ability to come in and get the job done should not be overlooked.
Whenever he was up against the wall in the ring, he came through with a big hit when it was needed to escape that bout with a win. He has a similar story outside of the ring.
Guerrero has used the negative moments in his life to fuel him to success, as he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:
I look back at my whole career, my whole life, the trials and the tribulations I've been through to be able to become something huge in boxing and I've always had to drop two steps back and go a different route. But I've always known that there's a positive and I've always looked at it [like] it's a blessing in disguise with whatever happens.
This mindset has helped him in the past, and it will help him against Mayweather. He is facing an undefeated fighter who is universally known as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. A poor attitude would cause an opponent to lose in an instant.
However, Guerrero believes he can win, and there is plenty of reason for him to feel confident. Even if he struggles early, he will stay strong enough to give him a chance to win the fight.
Of course, a loss will only be another struggle in a long career for Guerrero. History has shown us that he will eventually bounce back.
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