Interview: Unbeaten Fernando Guerrero Fights for Interim WBO NABO Title October 10th!

Interview: Unbeaten Fernando Guerrero Fights for Interim WBO NABO Title October 10th!

Interview by Ken Hissner, Doghouse Boxing (Oct 5, 2009)

All this young Dominican has done is beat everyone they put in front of him. Unbeaten Fernando Guerrero, 15-0 (13), takes on his most experienced opponent to date in Ossie Duran, 23-7-2 (9), of Ghana, now fighting out of Paterson, New Jersey. “Title Time” will be promoted by Prize Fight Boxing at Arthur W. PERDUE Stadium, in Salisbury, Maryland on October 10th! On the line will be the –interim WBO NABO middleweight title!

This will be the first time in his four fights in Salisbury that Guerrero has not fought at the Wicomico Civic Center where he has packed them in. This ball park will have plenty of room for all his fans. The undercard has unbeaten fighters Ty Barnett, Philly’s Farah Ennis, debuting top amateur Nick Kisner and Guerrero’s older brother Alex.

Duran is very durable having never been stopped and is a former British Commonwealth light middleweight champion who after losing that title came to the US and is 3-2-1. His decision losses are to contenders David Lopez, 37-12 and James Kirkland, 18-0. In between he fought a draw with then highly regarded Eromosely Albert, 21-2. He comes with high credentials for the young (22) Guerrero and will pose as a stern test.

Guerrero left the Dominican Republic at the age of 8 and started boxing in his early teens. He has been in with the best in the country during his amateur career with names like Danny Jacobs and Shawn Porter. The latter is also a Prize Fight Boxing fighter as is Guerrero. Hal Chernoff has trained and managed Guerrero and done a fine job with his young prospect. “We have a good team in DC with Barry Hunter, Russ Young, Patrice Harris and former top contender Andrew Council,” said Chernoff. There hasn’t been a losing record opponent in his last 8 fights which is unusual in boxing today. Since his promoter operates out of Mississippi, 8 of his 15 fights have been at Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel, in Tunica where Guerrero has become a local favorite winning all his fights there by knockout!

Guerrero turned professional in December of 2007. His first test came against another prospect Fernando Barajas, 4-1, who was fighting his fifth straight unbeaten opponent in Guerrero. The tough Mexican was only the second opponent to get into the 4th round with Guerrero before falling. Next up on Showtime was unbeaten Tyrone Watson, 7-0, who had defeated the son’s of legendary boxers Aaron Pryor and Howard Davis, Jr., Stephen Pryor and Dyah Davis. Guerrero won all 8 rounds on two score cards and 7 on the other. “He was my toughest fight to date,” said Guerrero.

In February of this year Guerrero’s opponent from Philly was highly regarded Gabriel “King” Rosado, 10-2, over ESPN2 in Salisbury. Rosado got off to a fast start flooring Guerrero in the 3rd round. More embarrassed than hurt, Guerrero got up and took the fight to Rosado the rest of the way. I asked if that was a wake-up call. “Not really. I knew what to expect from Rosado. He wasn’t my toughest fight but was my most skilled opponent,” said Guerrero. Rosado would fade down the stretch in losing 77-74 (2x) and 76-75, to Guerrero. “He talked a lot of smack before the fight,” said Chernoff. “We went face to face and he said that pretty stuff was not going to work on him,” said Guerrero. “I even thanked him for a good fight afterwards. Two fights later Rosado defeated the former IBF light middleweight champion Kassim Ouma.

In June at Salisbury, Guerrero took on Brian “The Assassin” Norman, 17-8, who had gone 10 rounds with current WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, originally from Haiti, now out of Montreal. “I am part Haitian and Dominican. I would love to fight in the Dominican Republic,” said Guerrero. I’m sure that will be arranged down the line. Guerrero walked right through Norman stopping him in the 2nd round. In his last fight in August he took on Chris Archer, 11-7, who was coming back down from light heavyweight, where he scored a knockout in his last fight in June. It was in Tunica for the first time in 2009 with Guerrero stopping Archer in the 3rd round for his 15th straight win and 13th inside the distance.

Coming up will be Guerrero’s first 10 rounder and as the #10 contender (WBO NABO) he will be facing Duran who is #13. Daniel Edouard, of Haiti/FL is #7 and would make an interesting next opponent. The WBO NABO champion is Guerrero’s former amateur foe Danny Jacobs. The future is becoming much more interesting as Guerrero works his way up toward this title and a future WBO world title bout.

“My favorite boxers growing up were Oscar De La Hoya and Tito Trinidad,” said Guerrero. I asked who he was rooting for when they fought. “I wasn’t following boxing at the time,” said Guerrero. I forgot it was in 1999 and he was only 12 and hadn’t started boxing yet. I must be getting (getting?) old. One thing I do know, this young man has a very bright future ahead of him and a lot of more exciting fights for us fight fans!

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Ken at: kenhissner@yahoo.com