Robert Guerrero vs. Selcuk Aydin Will be For WBC Interim Welterweight Title
Five-time world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (29-1-1, 18 KOs), of Gilroy, California, has signed to fight undefeated WBC No. 1 ranked contender, Selcuk “Mini Tyson” Aydin (23-0, 17 KOs), of Hamburg, Germany, for the WBC interim welterweight title. The fight is scheduled for July, 28, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
Guerrero, who’s captured multiple world titles in lighter weight classes, will take the unprecedented step of moving up two weight divisions to fight Aydin, who holds the WBC Silver belt and is a full-fledged welterweight, fighting most of his career at 147 pounds. If victorious, Guerrero will be the first fighter in history to jump straight from lightweight to welterweight and win a championship. Hall of Famer Roberto Duran and Shane Mosley are others who have made the leap from lightweight to welterweight, but both had tune up fights before challenging for a belt.
When asked about challening Aydin for the WBC interim title Guerrero stated, “First, I’d like to thank Jesus Christ, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, Golden Boy Promotions, HP Pavilion and the WBC for putting this event together. I’m very delighted to be making my comeback and there’s no other place than the Bay Area to bring home my sixth world title in four different weight classes. I’m dedicating this fight to the whole Bay Area and I promise to put on a great show.
“Words can’t describe how hungry I am to get that WBC belt. This fight will be explosive without a doubt. Aydin is a very good fighter and I respect everything he has accomplished but that 0’s got to go in San Jose!
“Lastly, I’m very pleased that I’ve added Luis Decubas Jr. and Walter Kane to my team and I feel this move will be an added benefit. Soon, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero will be a household name.”
Aydin, who is of Turkish decent, is one of the most feared punchers in boxing, having never lost a fight. In his last bout, he landed a powerful punch, fracturing the jaw of his opponent, Ionut “Jo JoDan” Ion (29-2, 16 KOs). Ranked highly by all the sanctioning organizations, the crowd-pleasing Aydin brings an aggressive come-forward style to the ring. His attack is pure entertainment, and will be the most challenging test of Guerrero’s career.
“This guy is no joke,” said Guerrero’s manager Bob Santos. “Aydin will be the biggest and strongest guy Robert has ever fought. The fact that he’s been the WBC No. 1 contender to fight both Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather for the last two years speaks volumes on this credibility. Maybe that’s why they never wanted to step in the ring with him for obvious reasons.
“Guerrero must get credit for the jump up in weight. Not only is Guerrero jumping up two weight classes, he’s also fighting a top ten contender for a title. He’s a true warrior and he’s hungry to get back in the ring.”
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Of course, one interesting note about this is that Guerrero will now be fighting for the WBC interim strap at 147 lbs, with Floyd Mayweather, the WBC titleholder, temporarily moving up to 154 lbs to face Miguel Cotto. Guerrero had been clamoring for a title shot against Mayweather, but wasn’t able to secure the date. By winning this fight in his welterweight debut and becoming the interim titleholder, he’d suddenly be in great position to face Mayweather for the full WBC welterweight title.
However, Mayweather has also been known to drop belts at a whim and go on extended vacations from the sport – and he’ll be going on an unwanted three-month stint in jail following the Cotto fight. So whether or not this actually puts the Ghost any close to landing a dream fight against Mayweather is still anybody’s guess.
