Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero expressed interest in a rematch with Floyd "Money" Mayweather after his unanimous decision loss on Saturday night. I respect Guerrero's effort and competitiveness, but they could fight 10 times and the result would be the same.
There is no reason to ever arrange this fight again. I appreciated Mayweather's dominance. He put on a boxing exhibition, but it is time for both men to go in a different direction.
Mayweather has quite a few options.
Money's Choices
Canelo Alvarez
He could meet Canelo Alvarez at a catchweight, or move up to 154 pounds to face the 22-year-old Mexican phenom. The same speed advantage that was too much for Guerrero would be the difference between he and Canelo.
From a financial standpoint, a bout with Alvarez would be second only to a meeting with Manny Pacquiao.
A Bout With One of England's Stars
A battle with highly-touted English welterweight Kell Brook is also a possibility. Mayweather and his camp have said they want to fight in the UK. Perhaps taking on Brook or polarizing 140-pound star Amir Khan is an option.
Khan is obviously the more marketable opponent. But in reality, it seems both Khan and Brook would be overmatched against Mayweather. Khan may have the speed to keep pace with Mayweather, but his in-ring IQ is far beneath the pound-for-pound king's.
With his shaky chin, it seems like a stoppage would be inevitable.
Brook has never been on such a big stage. The biggest question for him—beyond the speed and experience advantage—would be his ability to handle the bright lights of a major event.
Critics Will Still Talk
No matter who Mayweather fights, there will be some criticism over his choice. Even if he were to fight Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez in his next three fights, someone would say he fought an inexperienced Alvarez and Martinez and Pac-Man were past their prime.
Brook or Khan would be the smartest choice, but Mayweather should beat Alvarez as well—even at 154 pounds.
The Ghost's Choices
As for Guerrero, he needs to prove to the naysayers that even though he isn't on Mayweather's level, he's still an elite 147-pound fighter.
Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao or Timothy Bradley
He too could take on Khan or Brook as well, but I'd love to see him battle Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao or Timothy Bradley.
All three men have fights scheduled for the latter part of the year, so the earliest a fight could take place would be 2014. As bad as The Ghost was out-classed by Mayweather, I think he would be competitive with any of the other elite welterweights in the world.
He proved he had a chin against Andre Berto and Selcuk Aydin. Neither Marquez nor Pacquiao's power will intimidate him.
Guerrero can't afford to take a fight against a fighter who doesn't have notoriety. If he wants to be taken serious as a contender, he has to beat other elite welterweights. I believe he can do that.
Guerrero-Berto 2
A rematch with Berto has some appeal, but it would be a no-win situation for The Ghost. The first fight was close, but Guerrero came away with the decision. If Berto's eyes aren't swollen and he fights a smarter fight, he could turn the tables.
If this happens, Guerrero's career is moving backwards. Even if he beats Berto again, he's still not establishing anything positive and new in his career.
Ultimately, he may have to wait for Mayweather to retire to have a chance to reign at 147 pounds.
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