Preview: Premier Boxing Champions ‘Guerrero vs. Martinez’ on NBC

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Welterweights

Robert Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs) vs. Aron Martinez (19-3-1, 4 KOs)

A little less than three months after he dropped a unanimous decision to the highly-touted Keith Thurman in a WBA world welterweight title bout, Robert Guerrero returns to the ring against the relatively unknown Aron Martinez in the Premier Boxing Champions main event on Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.

Martinez has all the looks of a rebound opponent for Guerrero, who showcased his trademark tenacity but was overmatched against Thurman in March. At any rate, the extra activity should be good for “The Ghost,” who hasn’t competed twice in the same calendar year since 2012. If he handles his business against Martinez, Guerrero’s reputation as a battle-tested veteran should net him some more marquee fights down the road.

The Matchup: Both Geurrero and Martinez enter the bout having lost two of their last three, although Guerrero’s setbacks against Thurman and Floyd Mayweather Jr. rate significantly higher when it comes to strength of schedule.

Martinez was finished for the first time in his career in his most recent outing, as he suffered a fifth-round technical knockout defeat against Josesito Lopez in March 2014. That came two fights after a game showing in a 10-round decision loss to Jessie Vargas, who is now a 140-pound titlist.

In general, Guerrero has much more big-fight experience than his opponent. A former champion in four different weight classes, the Gilroy, Calif., native owns victories over the likes of Joel Casamayor, Andre Berto, Michael Katsidis and Selcuk Aydin. However, Guerrero is a much different fighter at 147 pounds than he was at, say, 126 or 130.

The most obvious difference in Guerrero’s skill set at a heavier weight class is his lack of knockout power. His last six triumphs have come via decision, while his last stoppage win came in 2010. Much of that can be attributed to Guerrero simply not being able to maintain the same power he did as a smaller fighter.

His in-ring approach is often different, too. In the past, Guerrero was a versatile performer who could fight in close quarters and at range. He possessed good in-and-out movement, used feints to set up one-two combinations and generally blended together a varied arsenal of punches together at different distances.

These days, Guerrero is primarily a clinch fighter, presumably a strategy designed to deal with larger foes on a consistent basis. “The Ghost” likes to drag his foes into slugfests at close range, where he can unload jabs, hooks and uppercuts in multi-punch combinations to overwhelm with volume. He is also adept at rolling with and under incoming blows to set up his counters.

If an adversary gives Guerrero the type of fight he wishes, an entertaining brawl can often ensue. Guerrero’s chin has held up thus far, but it could very well begin to show weakness if he continues to try and outslug the opposition at this weigh class. It shouldn’t be an issue against Martinez, though. The Mexican-born fighter has only four knockouts in 23 professional appearances. He will likely try and force the tempo early against Guerrero, but the key to his success lies in his ability to control the range and utilize good footwork to avoid the type of fight his foe prefers.

The Pick: Guerrero is not nearly as versatile a boxer as he once was, but he should be able to drag Martinez into the clinch often enough to force the type of close-quarters brawl he desires. Guerrero by decision.