Floyd Mayweather is the heavy favorite, but challenger Robert Guerrero isn’t backing down from boxing’s premier entertainer.
Guerrero is on a huge stage for the first time in his career and he’s not shrinking from the situation—he’s embracing it.
"Records are made to be broken,” The Ghost said, according to Monte Poole of the San Jose Mercury News. “On May 4, that record is going to be broken. He's going to have his first loss.”
This recent spate of confidence is nothing new, either. He's taken to Twitter to talk about his upcoming upset of the champ.
The stage is set for an upset, but the champion still remains the heavy favorite as the WBC welterweight title bout looms.
Weigh-ins are in the books and there is no time left for the talk, hype and anticipation that has gotten us to this point. Now is the time for Money to step back into the ring, one-year removed, and prove he is still the pinnacle of the sport.
Here’s what Guerrero will have to do in order to do what 43 others have failed to do—score a win, by any means, over Floyd Mayweather.
Embrace the Southpaw Effect
Mayweather’s stiff shoulder defense will keep Guerrero’s right hand at bay. He’ll need to exploit that as other southpaws have done somewhat successfully in the past. If he can maximize his chances with his left, he may be able to do significant damage while racking up points in the process.
Guerrero said he buys into Mayweather’s perceived struggles against southpaws too, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com:
Oh, definitely the southpaw side gives him trouble. If DeMarcus Corley and Zab Judah didn't get tired, they were winning that fight and I believe that. I'm ready for this. I've had the right fights. I was built the right way. I've had the right experience.
Be the Aggressor
Guerrero must set the tone for this bout by controlling the ring. If he can force Mayweather into the ropes and maintain a decent stand-off distance, he may be able to dictate the tempo of the fight.
Keeping the pressure on and staying close to Money may be his best shot at disrupting his strategy and forcing the champ to adapt. At the same time, Guerrero can’t get tunnel vision while being aggressive and needs to change up his approaches against the highly intelligent Mayweather.
Knock Out the Champ
It’s unfathomable to think about Guerrero stepping out of the MGM Grand with a 12-round decision victory over Floyd Mayweather. While possible, it doesn’t seem very likely that he will be able to win decisively enough to sway judges in his favor.
That leaves a knockout as his best option for scoring the upset. Guerrero’s punching power at the welterweight level isn’t as impressive as it was in lower weight classes, but he does have heavy hands and can do damage if he lands a flurry.
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