Five reasons Robert Guerrero can beat Floyd Mayweather Jr

Floyd “Money” Mayweather puts his 43-0-0 record and the WBC World Welterweight title that’s his current strap of choice on the line against Roberto “The Ghost” Guerrero on the fifth of May in his first fight since leaving prison and despite the “pretty-boy’s” legendary status, there are a whole host of reasons why the 1/10 favourite could be caught out by 11/2 dark horse Guerrero.        

Complacency – Quite apart from the excellent Guerrero, Floyd must do battle with his own psyche, steeped and matured in the history of his own invincibility. Mayweather’s training methods have long been slightly orthodox and the sight of the Las Vegas resident ending training in favour of a game of basketball in Showtime’s All Access fight preview suggests that he may be skirting the fine-line between self-belief and complacency.

Age – In combination with Floyd’s unorthodox training methods his advancing years may cause the champ to slow down as the fight moves into the final quarter. In his last outing against Miguel Cotto, Mayweather became less active in the face of his opponents continued aggression in the eighth. Guerrero has six years and 10 fights less on the clock, not to mention a hunger for his first world title.

Guerrero’s southpaw stance – Mayweather has been troubled in his dealings with southpaws down the years, with Zab Judah and DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley catching him with big blows on the way to decision defeats.

The Ghost’s hand-speed and work-rate – Having spent much of his career fighting at super featherweight and lightweight Guerrero’s high energy style hasn’t dipped since his debut at welter two fights back, with two victories carded in as many fights.

Guerrero is Spanish for warrior – After outpointing Selcuk Aydin in his first match at the 147lbs limit, Guerrero came out victorious in a vicious bout against Andre Berto – a proficient KO-artist at welterweight – despite having his right eye virtually closed by his opponents uppercuts by the end of the ninth. The challenger’s heart and durability should mean he’ll be pursuing Floyd well into the later rounds.