As Floyd "Money" Mayweather advances in age and continues to put his undefeated record on the line, the odds of him losing seemingly increase. When Mayweather's bout against Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero comes to an end on Saturday night, however, his record will stand at 44-0.
In one of the most highly anticipated fights of 2013 thus far, Mayweather will defend his WBC Welterweight Championship against Guerrero at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Some have questioned Mayweather's preparedness since he hasn't fought in a year, but that hasn't adversely affected him before.
Mayweather has taken hiatuses of a year or more twice in the past and returned as good as ever on both occasions. The oddsmakers in Vegas certainly aren't concerned about any ring rust, as Mayweather is currently a -650 favorite, according to Bovada.
All the odds are stacked against Guerrero, and while that could potentially make him a dangerous fighter, Mayweather won't become complacent.
Guerrero clearly wanted this fight for a very long time and went to great lengths to get it. He's no pushover either, with a record of 31-1-1 and 18 knockouts to his credit. With that said, Guerrero's resume has been called into question, as his only high-quality victory came in his last fight against Andre Berto.
Mayweather's track record has been picked apart over the years as well, but it's tough to argue against victories over Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Arturo Gatti.
Mayweather has faced essentially every top fighter in his realm aside from Manny Pacquiao and has prevailed on every occasion.
With so many victories under his belt without a defeat, Mayweather is supremely confident. That is a trait that he has never lacked and has put on display throughout the build toward his fight with Guerrero. Mayweather retweeted a quote and photo from Mayweather Promotion suggesting that beating Guerrero will be the easiest part of this entire process.
While Mayweather may not truthfully believe that to be the case, simply saying it could help him get in Guerrero's head. It isn't as if Mayweather needs another advantage—he already seems to have the physical advantage—but he likes to dominate his opponents on all fronts, including mentally.
From an in-ring perspective, Mayweather should be just fine in this bout. He is probably the best defensive fighter of this generation and arguably one of the best of all time. His quickness and evasiveness are unmatched and will ultimately be too much for Guerrero to handle.
Guerrero has faced some solid fighters, but none of them are at the same level as Mayweather. "Money" is essentially in a different stratosphere than everyone else in the business and Guerrero will soon find that out.
Guerrero may believe that he has a game plan capable of besting Mayweather, but many opponents have thought the same thing in the past.
In all likelihood, Guerrero will come out aggressively and attempt to push the pace. Mayweather prefers to maintain a defensive posture and adjust to what his opponent throws at him. Guerrero may have some success early, but it won't take Mayweather long to figure out how to combat "The Ghost."
Once that happens, it will be smooth sailing from there.
Guerrero's only hope is to knock out Mayweather. That is easier said than done, though, as nobody has been able to do it. The longer the fight goes, the better Mayweather gets, as his stamina is above and beyond what anyone else possesses in the sport.
Even if Mayweather is trailing early, he shouldn't have much trouble making a comeback on the scorecards.
Mayweather may not have as easy of a time against Guerrero as some expect him to, but he isn't in much danger of losing. Provided Mayweather sticks with the style that has worked so many times in the past, Saturday night will end with him remaining undefeated.
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