Guerrero beats Kamegai in return

CARSON, CALIFORNIA – Welterweight Robert Guerrero returned from a 13-month ring absence with a bloody, bruising unanimous decision over Yoshihiro Kamegai on Saturday night.

Guerrero (32-2-1) hadn’t fought since his one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May. The former four-division champion was severely tested by the tenacious Kamegai (24-2-1), and both fighters took tremendous punishment in a draining slugfest.

Guerrero fought the second half of the bout with a grotesque cut and swelling on his left eye, but landed some of his biggest shots in the 12th round. Despite trading brutal punches throughout the night in the outdoor ring, yet neither recorded a knockdown.

“I feel into that banging again, and that’s something I’ve got to work on,” Guerrero said, his damaged eye concealed behind sunglasses. “I wanted to box on the outside, but I have a habit of banging away and exchanging.”

Photo: Big Joe Miranda