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Weight struggles force Guerrero to vacate featherweight belt
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: June 23, 2008, 2:48 PM ET
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Citing issues making the 126-pound weight limit, Robert Guerrero vacated his featherweight world title on Monday and is moving up to the 130-pound junior lightweight class.
Guerrero, 25, is 5-foot-8½ and has been making 126 pounds since he was 18, which he said he could no longer do.
"It's been my childhood dream to become a world champion and I've accomplished that goal at featherweight," Guerrero said. "I'm truly appreciative to the IBF for giving me the opportunity to fight for their title. I've been at this weight since the amateurs. I've come to realize that I can no longer make featherweight and feel strong. I'm older now, my body has matured, so it's time for me to move up in weight. The extra four pounds will only make me stronger. At junior lightweight I believe I'll be more effective."
Guerrero's announcement came the day before his mandatory fight with Orlando Salido was scheduled to go to a purse bid.
Rather than go through with the purse bid to see if a big offer came in, co-manager Shelly Finkel said that Guerrero believed it was right to vacate when he had no intention of facing Salido at featherweight.
"I said let's go through with the purse bid because maybe there will be a large bid," Finkel said. "But Robert said, 'I can't make the weight, so why do it? I don't want to fight Salido being weak.' Robert was right and he did the right thing."
Guerrero (22-1-1, 15 KOs), a two-time titleholder, made the first defense of his first reign against Salido on Nov. 4, 2006, and lost a unanimous decision. However, Salido tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in his post-fight drug test. The fight was ruled a no contest and the title was vacated.
Three months later, Guerrero, of Gilroy, Calif., traveled to Denmark and knocked out Spend Abazi in the ninth round to reclaim the vacant belt. He defended it twice, a spectacular first-round knockout of Martin Honorio last Nov. 3 followed by an eighth-round knockout of Jason Litzau on Feb. 29.
Guerrero's first fight at junior lightweight is up in the air. Unhappy with promoter Dan Goossen, he filed for arbitration and there is a July 25 hearing scheduled, Finkel said.
Regardless of the outcome, Guerrero is anxious to fight bigger names at a heavier weight.
"My goal now is to become a world champion at the junior lightweight and lightweight divisions," he said. "I want to challenge all the big names, guys like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. I feel confident in my ability to accomplish my new goals."
With the title vacant, the IBF will order its top-rated contenders, Salido (30-9-2, 20 KOs) and Cristobal Cruz (36-11-1, 23 KOs), both of Mexico, to meet for the belt.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
Weight struggles force Guerrero to vacate featherweight belt
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: June 23, 2008, 2:48 PM ET
Comment
Citing issues making the 126-pound weight limit, Robert Guerrero vacated his featherweight world title on Monday and is moving up to the 130-pound junior lightweight class.
Guerrero, 25, is 5-foot-8½ and has been making 126 pounds since he was 18, which he said he could no longer do.
"It's been my childhood dream to become a world champion and I've accomplished that goal at featherweight," Guerrero said. "I'm truly appreciative to the IBF for giving me the opportunity to fight for their title. I've been at this weight since the amateurs. I've come to realize that I can no longer make featherweight and feel strong. I'm older now, my body has matured, so it's time for me to move up in weight. The extra four pounds will only make me stronger. At junior lightweight I believe I'll be more effective."
Guerrero's announcement came the day before his mandatory fight with Orlando Salido was scheduled to go to a purse bid.
Rather than go through with the purse bid to see if a big offer came in, co-manager Shelly Finkel said that Guerrero believed it was right to vacate when he had no intention of facing Salido at featherweight.
"I said let's go through with the purse bid because maybe there will be a large bid," Finkel said. "But Robert said, 'I can't make the weight, so why do it? I don't want to fight Salido being weak.' Robert was right and he did the right thing."
Guerrero (22-1-1, 15 KOs), a two-time titleholder, made the first defense of his first reign against Salido on Nov. 4, 2006, and lost a unanimous decision. However, Salido tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in his post-fight drug test. The fight was ruled a no contest and the title was vacated.
Three months later, Guerrero, of Gilroy, Calif., traveled to Denmark and knocked out Spend Abazi in the ninth round to reclaim the vacant belt. He defended it twice, a spectacular first-round knockout of Martin Honorio last Nov. 3 followed by an eighth-round knockout of Jason Litzau on Feb. 29.
Guerrero's first fight at junior lightweight is up in the air. Unhappy with promoter Dan Goossen, he filed for arbitration and there is a July 25 hearing scheduled, Finkel said.
Regardless of the outcome, Guerrero is anxious to fight bigger names at a heavier weight.
"My goal now is to become a world champion at the junior lightweight and lightweight divisions," he said. "I want to challenge all the big names, guys like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. I feel confident in my ability to accomplish my new goals."
With the title vacant, the IBF will order its top-rated contenders, Salido (30-9-2, 20 KOs) and Cristobal Cruz (36-11-1, 23 KOs), both of Mexico, to meet for the belt.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
