"I love it. I'm excited. I'm back. Welterweight champion now. Floyd Mayweather...Floyd wants his belt, it's right here," stated Robert Guerrero shortly after making a successful debut at welterweight, defeating previously undefeated Selcuk Aydin and picking up the WBC interim welterweight title in the process. It was Guerrero's first fight in the 147-pound division, having moved up two weight divisions after a year-long layoff following shoulder surgery. Despite those circumstances, Guerrero wanted to make it clear that he was ready to face the best that the division had to offer, which is the reason why he was willing to face the hard-hitting, tough-as-nails Aydin.
"You know, like I said, I'm going to fight the best, so I took on the best guy. Nobody wanted to fight him; Berto, Ortiz. He's the mandatory to Floyd Mayweather. Hey, I want to take on the best. That's why we brought Selcuk Aydin, to challenge him. You know, hey, it's my first fight back in a year. I took care of business," Guerrero explained during this post-fight interview. It was a fight that looked tougher than expected at times for Guerrero, who admitted that he was forced to bite down and fight through some ring rust.
"Styles make fights. You know, I stood there with him a little too long. You know, at times, you know, I should've boxed more. My corner wanted me to box and use my jab, but hey, I'm a fighter, man. I'm a fighter, you know. Hey, now you know I can take a shot at the welterweight division. One of the toughest guys, the hardest hitting guys, he landed some great shots on me and I just shrugged them off," he continued. "There was some ring rust, but you know what? Floyd Mayweather, like I said, if you want this belt, it's right here. Come and get it!"
Whether or not you think Guerrero is actually ready to face Floyd Mayweather, he did prove that he's indeed another player in the welterweight division. With names like Devon Alexander, Paul Malignaggi, Andre Berto, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz, Josesito Lopez, and others in and around the division, Guerrero is sure to produce some entertaining fights if matched with any one of them.
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]