As if a head butt, a short bout and a no decision weren’t disappointing enough Saturday for Robert Guerrero in his eagerly anticipated junior lightweight fight in San Jose, now his detractors are saying he was a coward for not continuing.
As Guerrero occasionally is compared to Manny Pacquiao, a comparison of Guerrero’s situation Saturday with the scenario when Pacquiao suffered a more gruesome cut against Erik Morales in 2005 was particularly unkind. Writing for my friends at philboxing.com (Dudes, you could have enlisted the Welterweight Champion here), Jason Aniel said:
“Manny Pacquiao’s eye was falling out of his socket against Erik Morales in 2005, but he finished the fight. If Guerrero wanted to get out of the fight, then you have to question whether Guerrero really has what it takes to be a major player in boxing. . .The unknown Yordan backed up his undefeated record by showing good boxing and landed some good shots on Guerrero in the first round. Guerrero seemed surprised by Yordan’s effectiveness.”
Whoa! Did he really write that Guerrero was so dismayed by Yordan’s prowess that a pissant cut caused by a head butt became a handy solution to his predicament? Whoa. Whoa!
First, Yordan was NOT better than Guerrero expected. He knew Yordan would be quick enough to hit him a few times, but Guerrero was confident a body attack would wear down the smaller man by the fifth or sixth round. Everything was going according to plan.
Still, the opponent wasn’t, well, wasn’t Manny Pacquiao. It was not important that Guerrero try to overcome the injury just to say he steamrolled a blown-up featherweight from Indonesia.
Because Guerrero sustained his injury from a head butt (well) before the end of the fourth round, it’s a no decision. A loss would have been a different matter altogether.
When Pacquiao suffered a telling eye injury in his loss to Morales, it was ruled unjustly that a punch, not a butt, had caused the injury. Quitting would have meant losing then and there. Pacquiao had no choice but to continue.
Guerrero did. By the way, before the stoppage but after he was cut, Guerrero went after Yordan for the first time in the fight and easily overwhelmed him. When Yordan was asked about a rematch with Guerrero, he muttered something about going back to 126 pounds to fight Steven Luevano.
When the time is right, you will see Guerrero fighting through adversity to show great fortitude. But the time was not right Saturday.
Comments
I'm waiting for the day Manny Pacquiao gets beat soundly, and the other Filipino prospects are knocked out and fall on their heads.
Filipino fans are true fans, no doubt, however many of them go beyond the point of decentcy and are flat out arrogant. I can only assume it's because they have the top fighter in boxing and they're proud of this but as someone who has traveled to, and covered boxing in the PI, I've never found the fans in the PI to be as ruthless in person as online.
Guerrero made the smart move - he had little to gain from a win over Yordan who still has alot to prove.
If neutrality ever factors into the articles on Philboxing then maybe I, along with many other non-Filipino's will be able to read the articles without snickering.
Scott Mallon
Ring Magazine / Boxing News / Boxing Digest, The Fist / AsianBoxingNews.com
LET ME TELL YOU THIS. THE CUT AVOVE THE EYES OF PACQUAIO CAME FROM HEADBUTT. THAT AFFECTS THE OUTCOME.
I'm with Scott on this one. I'm from Philippines and a true boxing fan. Posters at Philboxing are nut huggers who are boxer's fans and not boxing fan. You'll have a hard time finding objective posters in this site, and if there, they're ridiculed by the majority pac huggers.
hey Scott Mallon are you really a journalist? beacuse you sound so bias and bitter toward our national hero Manny Pacquiao, why is that? because manny demolished all your mexican idols? i think what you want to happen agains manny is far fetched in reality because he is so focused in training so that no one can even win a round or two against him in the ring! hey Scott Mallon be matured enough to face the truth and avoid to hate manny because if you do million of Pacman fans hate you!
and for Christ sake man dont you ever compare Guerrero to Pacman! if the two boxer face each other i am willing to bet all my money that Guerrero wont make it in 6 round! he is not good as Morales, Barrera, JMM or even Golden boy! your man Guerrero cant even make it in P4P top 30 list! grow old man!
all i could say is that young yordan is very strong fighter and i believe,he is a young image of pacman,watch his moves and how he carried his footwork,also was not scared to let go of is hands for a guy that only has fought here in the usa twice,im really impressed,kid has heart trust me
Opps... If you feel you don't deserved to be smeared, then don't live in a House of Glass! Your Guerrero is plain COWARD - no doubt about it. Just like you're too opinionated as a Writer!!! You don't belong to USA which is a free country! Your Guerrero's camp as well as your opinion indicated more on the "W" column than for a fight to entertain those who paid the gates. Get him to the WWF where the moves are coreographed - that certainly where he fits best. I am not sure but you probably did use your Press Pass to get in and ultimately blame the other parties of their arrogance. Wake up, write more entertaining articles!
This is a two part comment to this article.
1st - It's unfair to call any boxer/fighter a coward when he's willing to go toe-to-toe against another fighter. even worse when it comes from professionals who cover fights for a living. Let's see them wear gloves for a living.
2nd - Regardless of the level of competition and significance of the fight, the fighter must have the heart to finish. Given there are rules to protect the fighters, if the fight wasn't that significant at all then why take it the first place?!
Bottom line is, Ghost decided to play it safe and there are consequences. Calling him a coward shouldn't be one of them.
It's really amazing how everyone keep calling the "Ghost" the next COMING GReAT! He has not DONE anything in the 130 lbs or even prove his worthy. His all HYPE WITH NO SUBSTANCE. I knew this kid (IMO), once he face adversity or get tested at the higher weight class, he will somehow QUIT. This ain't figure skating. Boxing is a brutal sport, and if you can't handle accidental head butt from time to time, your are a PRETENDER. And why the hell is being compared to Pacquiao anyway? His not even near close being compare to a PACQUIAO, BARRERA, MORALES, or JMM. Please stop already! These guys never quite on anything on their LIFE. If you can't handle a head butt you don't DESERVED to be a prizefighter-- PRETENDER!
he's not a coward but you have to understand when your a boxer every fight is important. no matter the level of competition you have to finish
"I'm waiting for the day Manny Pacquiao gets beat soundly, and the other Filipino prospects are knocked out and fall on their heads"
This is the most outrageous comments I have ever heard or read from any journalist since I have been following boxing or any type of sports for that matter and I have been a boxing fan for decades. That is totally unprofessional and uncalled for. How can someone wish for a boxer's demise or an entire country, is beyond any reason just because a few internet poster upset you. I suggest you don't post your article on Pacland if you do not wish to be criticized.
Even Shakespeare had critics Mr Mallon.
hmmm i think Scott Mallon is a very racist. I think such atitude toward boxing is the one killing the boxing sport. I think your not really have a passion for boxing your about people their origin about the language they speak the culture and the superiority in this world. They are the blind boxing expert as what they called their self they don't know how to appreciate talent and skills. They belittled yordan coz his from Indonesia and they cant believe the guy can fight eh..
Why single out Manny Pacquaio and other Filipino boxing prospects? If you are slighted by some of the comments of Filipino Fans, please be informed that they are not the majority. What kind of a person are you Mr. Mallon? You long for the day that Manny Pacqauio and other Filipino prospects to fall in order to silence some of the irresponsible Filipino Fans. What did Manny Pacquaio and other Filipino Boxing prospect do to you? What did they do to deserve to be singled out by such a honorable journalist like you?
Scott Mallon is sick man so give him a break, maybe he is a frustrated boxer himself so that he is envy to death to what Pacman achieved in boxing, wealth, fame, ang a future hall of famer! hey Scotty find another career man, try to Host who wants to be the racist man like me! thats perfect for your personality!
Scott Mallon says: I'm waiting for the day Manny Pacquiao gets beat soundly, and the other Filipino prospects are knocked out and fall on their heads.
Is that what you call decency?
Here is Dan Rafael's comment on the 'Ghost':
Let's be honest: Robert Guerrero, despite a cut in the second round, simply quit against Daud Yordan.
Hehehe your heads will roll when you go to manila lolz !!!
Watch out for Ironwood Cebu ! ! !
He'll whip your arse ! ! !
will somebody send me a picture of this scott mallon so i could send my thug neighbors to maul this SOB on his way to the fight venue? im very serious.
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