Floyd Mayweather is one of the best boxers in the history of the sport, but he will struggle against Robert Guerrero on May 4.
"Money" will compete in his first fight in almost exactly a year after spending time in jail for domestic battery. Obviously, he does not believe this will affect him at all.
According to ESPN, Mayweather recently talked about the upcoming bout, saying:
Of course I feel unbeatable. I'm in the sport where I'm the best. I'm not going into the fight thinking I'm beatable...I'm in tip-top condition. I'm in great shape. I have been working hard. It was just an obstacle that was in my way.
While the fighter has been unbeatable to this point with a 43-0 record and 26 knockouts, there is reason to believe he will struggle in this upcoming matchup.
Mayweather is now 36 years old and is starting to lose some speed with age. While he has still shown plenty of dominance in his wins, he has only totaled two knockouts in his last eight matches. And this was when he was getting regular work.
After a long gap since his last bout against Miguel Cotto, there is certain to be plenty of rust.
Guerrero agreed with this sentiment when discussing the upcoming match (via Jeff Faraudo of the San Jose Mercury News):
Being a whole year layoff, he's going to feel the punches different. God put him in front of me for a reason and I'm going to beat him. Floyd Mayweather having a year off and being in jail, it takes a toll on you. No matter what you do, you do have a little ring rust.
That "ring rust" might become a factor as this fight continues into the later rounds. You can train as much as possible, but it is completely different when you are actually competing in a prizefight.
Guerrero knows plenty about coming back after a long time off. He missed over a year due to a shoulder injury in 2011. He knows that it hurts a little bit more when you are not used to get hit.
This is not just an ordinary title challenger for Mayweather to get back into form. Guerrero has a 31-1-1 record in his career and has not lost since 2006 to Gamaliel Diaz, which he later avenged.
In the biggest match of his life, he is certain to come out aggressively and do his best to get the better of his opponent early. If he can put the champ on the defensive, he can shock the world with a win.
Mayweather is still likely to win and is listed at minus-800 odds to win, according to Bovada. However, Mayweather's time off is certain to play a factor in this highly anticipated match.
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