Interview with Robert Guerrero; Guerrero vs. Katsidis on April 9th:
Robert Guerrero, 28 (18)-1-1, is getting ready to face Michael Katsidis on April 9th. It’s an exciting clash in the lightweight division, featuring the number 4 and number 6 fighters in the division, according to the latest ProBoxing-Fans.com lightweight division rankings.
Guerrero, who turns 28 in March, is a two division titleholder, and life is looking up since the first time he had been scheduled to meet Katsidis in the ring, in March of 2010. He had to cancel that fight as his wife, Casey, was battling leukemia. Casey now has a clean bill of health, and Robert has gotten three wins under his belt at 135 lbs.
Katsidis is no stranger to hardships and tragedy outside of the ring either. He fought Juan Manuel Marquez this past November, in what became the 2010 Fight of the Year, immediately after the unfortunate passing of his brother, Stathi.
The two fighters, each with their personal struggles behind them, are gearing up for an exciting clash which will give the winner the inside track to a title shot and an even bigger bout. Guerrero took a few minutes aside from his training to talk about the upcoming fight, the rest of the action around lightweight, his thoughts on Katsidis, and more.
April 9th is the big fight so we’re less than two months out. Are you already in camp and how’s training going so far?
RG: Training is going great. I’ve been in training for the past month so I’ll be ready to go.
You had been in the mix to land fights with both Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales. Now Morales is fighting Marcos Maidana, which headlines the PPV card you’re on, and Marquez, who had alsobeen rumored to be fighting Morales, still has no opponent lined up. It was kind of messy how all of this played out, so what do you think about the whole situation?
RG: It all worked out OK. I was going off of Golden Boy’s word that we would be fighting on April 9th, so it was just staying in shape and in the gym. I wanted to be prepared to face whoever, whether it was Morales, Katsidis or Marquez. So just staying in shape was the main thing and looking forward to the 9th.
What are your thoughts on the Morales-Maidana fight itself. Fair matchup? Good matchup?
RG: It’s going to be a good fight. Morales is one of those guys who always steps it up when the competition is tough…. and you saw that with the Pacquiao fights, he’s the only Mexican fighter that beat Pacquiao! (laughs)… When it’s time to step up to the plate and hit that home run, he’s there.
And Maidana, he’s tough as nails. In his last fight against Khan to get up from a body shot, a brutal body shot, and fight out the whole fight and almost get the upset and knocking Khan out at the end. He’s going to give anybody a run for their money. It’s going to be an interesting fight, and I’m exciting about it and can’t wait to see how the turnout is.
So what’s the latest, do you know yet if the fight against Katsidis is going to be for the vacant title, or will you still have to wait to get Marquez at some point down the line?
RG: You know, eventually we’ll get there, I’m not concerned with Marquez right now. The main focus is getting in there with Katsidis and he’s a dangerous fighter. He had Marquez on his back in the last fight and, under the circumstances, where his brother just died, and having all that on his mind… Now he’s coming to the fight clear minded and ready to go and I’m not overlooking him. I’ll be 100% ready for him.
I know you were looking forward to fighting the winner of the Marquez-Katsidis bout though, so is it a bit of a letdown to face Katsidis who lost, even in a Fight of the Year kind of effort?
RG: I’m actually excited, we were supposed to face off in March of 2010, so now we’re fighting in April of this year. So it all worked out and at the end of the day it’s just putting on great fights for the fans. I tip my hat off to Katsidis, he’s a tough fighter and he makes those great, incredible fights. It’s exciting.
You’ve been on the big stage a lot, but do you feel like this bout is your chance to finally, really breakout on the scene?
RG: Oh yea. It’s going to be an awesome card. Morales is coming back, Maidana has always been an exciting fighter and everyone loves to watch him. Then you have me and Katsidis going up and it’s been long overdue for me to get one of the big names in the division. This is the fight that shows the world that Robert Guerrero belongs and is one of the elite fighters.
You mentioned how you have struggled to get some of the big name guys in the ring, do you take being avoided more as a sign of respect, or more of a slap in the face that you’re not getting your opportunity?
RG: Well, a little bit of both. There’s a sign of respect that I’m a talented fighter to watch out for. I can come and upset anybody. Also, too, you want to be in a position where you fight the biggest names. So there’s a little frustration there, but at the end of the day you have to get in there and win, and make it happen no matter who it is. This is boxing, and anything can change in a heartbeat. Just take it one fight at a time. I have faith with my promotional team with Golden Boy and my management team that they can get it done and if I keep on winning and keep on doing what I do and it’ll come.
You and Katsidis have somewhat similar resumes, both fighting Joel Casamayor and Vicente Escobedo within the last few years. The difference is that Katsidis did indeed land a few of the big name fighters that you have been unable to, like Marquez and Juan Diaz. How does that make you feel, and what do you think of Katsidis’ performances against the big guns in the division?
RG: He always puts up great fights. With Diaz he was right there with it and they were going at it toe to toe and punch for punch. With Casamayor I actually thought he was winning that fight, and it’s just a testament to how crafty Casamayor is that he just got that one shot in there and changed. So he was right in there. If he didn’t get caught with that shot he would have won that fight. And with the Escobedo fight he had a tough, good fight with him, he went in there and got the job done.
You touched on the circumstances surrounding the death of Katsidis’ brother Stathi prior to his last bout, is there any sense of bond there after what you’ve had to deal with on your own with your wife Casey as you’ve been fighting in the ring? Have you talked with him at all?
RG: Yea, after his last fight with Marquez I went up to him and told him, ‘Hey you know what, I tip my hat to you. You put up a great fight and I’m sorry to hear about your brother. You came out and did your thing.’ Just for him to get in the ring under the circumstances with his brother just passing and all of that on his mind… I know how difficult it is to battle through the adversity with some tragic events going on in your life, and you have to get in the ring and rough it out. Just for him to step in the ring, he’s a winner right there.
You were lined up to face Katsidis last year and had to withdraw as Casey was preparing for her own battles. How does the Robert Guerrero of today compare to the one that would have fought Katsidis then?
RG: Clear minded. I can train hard and focus on what I have to do, and not think about all of that. Even though I was training hard and was in great shape, mentally, everything was much more difficult. And my focus was on my wife getting healthy and everything going on there while also trying to stay focused on the fight. Now, it’s 100% focusing on what I have to do to get in shape, be ready and work on my craft to get in the ring.
That must make a huge difference for you… Katsidis is certainly going to do his best to draw you into a war, that’s no secret. Are you going to be sticking with your boxing or will you be willing to mix it up?
RG: With Katsidis, no matter what, you’re going to have to mix it up. Whether you come out with a game plan or what, that’s his game, and he does that to the best of his ability. There’s going to be a time where you have to mix it up, and you have to be prepared. And that’s the great thing, without having all of my wife’s health issues going on and on my mind, I’m able to focus on whatever comes. Whether I have to exchange and mix it up, or stay on my game and do my own thing. Now I’m able to just focus and get ready for Michael Katsidis.
Lightweight is busy right now. Acosta vs. Rios is coming up, DeMarco is in action the same night, Soto and Antillon will be fighting again after their great first fight, and now you and Katsidis are lined up. Let’s say Marquez is out of the picture for your future opponents, which of those guys, or who else, are you looking to face?
RG: Everybody. Like I said, it’s about making great fights and there’s a lot of big fights out there. Whoever I get matched up with I’ll be ready for. Everybody is out there doing their thing, and sooner or later we’re all going to butt heads. Time will tell, and I’m excited. You know, I’m at 135 and at 140 lbs you have Khan, and Bradley and all of them. It’s exciting, and being 5’9″ with a 71″ reach and carrying power with both hands… I can make my move, it’s all right there. Just have to take care of business April 9th and everything will fall into place.
You’ve been in a situation before where you faced criticism after suffering a cut and dealing with some head butts, when you faced Daud Yordan two years ago. I’m assuming you’ve seen Bradley vs. Alexander, what do you think about the way the fight played out, and ended? Alexander has received a lot of criticism for that.
RG: The first thing I thought is man, he’s going to take a lot of heat for it. Now we’re going to see what kind of heart he is, to come back from that and perform and show the world that they’re wrong. He has to come out and prove himself and that all of the criticism is wrong. A lot of times that motivates guys and gets them to come out and be more rugged, and just do what they got to do to win. I’m sure he’ll be back, and he’s been in tough fights before. A lot of people don’t look at the record, he went solid rounds with Urango who’s a tough guy that just keeps coming and coming. It’s going to show what kind of fighter he is. That’s what I had to do. No matter what I said to everybody, I had to come out and show the world that hey, you know what, Guerrero is not a quitter. The proof is in the pudding. You just have to show it fight night.
You’ve definitely proved your own critics wrong. So in April you’ll have the Katsidis fight, and what are the goals for the rest of 2011?
RG: To accomplish as much as I can. God has a plan for me, and I’m excited that I’m in the position I’m in. It would have been nice to get the Marquez fight, but God willing everything goes good down the line I get it, or any of the champions out there. I’m just excited and I’m here to put on great fights for the fans and take care of business. I’m looking forward to fighting a lot this year and letting the fans know that Guerrero is one of the elite fighters that is going to be on top.
Thanks for the time and good luck training.
The Guerrero vs. Katsidis bout will be held on April 9th from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s the main supporting bout on a four-fight card headlined by Marcos Maidana vs. Erik Morales.
