On Saturday night at the MGM Grand, Robert Guerrero discovered what so many of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s opponents had discovered before: He simply isn't in the same class.
But that doesn't mean Guerrero is done—far from it. The 30-year-old is still a top-10 welterweight in the world after his defeat via unanimous decision to Mayweather. His electric victory over Andre Berto in November proved that.
Guerrero must first answer some gun charges, but once he is free to fight again, there are some intriguing potential options on the table for him. Those options include top welterweights Paulie Malignaggi and Devon Alexander, who rank sixth and seventh in the division, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
Malignaggi (32-4) is set to face lightweight champion Adrien Broner in June, who is moving up two weight classes to fight him. After losing to Amir Khan in May 2010, Malignaggi went on to defeat his next five opponents, including Pablo Cesar Cano in October. He's also one of the best trash-talkers in the business, which could set up a "good vs. evil" angle for the deeply religious Guerrero.
Alexander (24-1) was scheduled to fight Kell Brook three separate times, but the matchup eventually fell through because of injuries to both boxers. Alexander fights Lee Purdy of England on May 18, a fighter who isn't in the same class as Alexander yet.
Since losing to Timothy Bradley Jr. in January 2011, the 26-year-old has won his last three fights.
Bradley, who belongs in the tier below Mayweather alongside Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao, would be a nice consolation fight for Guerrero after he was humiliated by Mayweather. The only problem with that is Bradley works under Top Rank and Guerrero works under Golden Boy Promotions, which virtually assures such a fight won't happen.
Guerrero isn't going to go away, though.
The wake-up call against Mayweather wasn't exactly anything to be ashamed about. His war against Berto opened eyes, and those eyes are still open in the boxing community. He still possesses the raw power and heart to be an exciting boxer as long as he doesn't fight Mayweather ever again.
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