34°
The 36-year-old boxer began learning self defense and MMA at 19 years old. He liked the fitness. The self-confidence he gained from being able to protect himself and others.
But fighting for sport was never in the cards for Guerrero, he said.
Until it was.
On Saturday, July 20, Guerrero, who owns Combat Fitness Club in Ridgefield Park, will be fighting against Ariel Perez on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry undercard in Miami, FL.
Guerrero's fight is the fourth in the four-round preliminary event expected to begin at 7 p.m. The main event features Paul, a 27-year-old YouTuber, against 32-year-old Perry, and is expected to begin at around midnight.
Paul, now a professional boxer, got his start on Vine in 2013 alongside his older brother, Logan Paul, who became a WWE Superstar and champion in his own right.
Jake doesn't exactly have a squeaky clean reputation as he was known for throwing "raucous" parties during COVID, and had been accused of sex assault and the use of racial slurs, as reported by Fortune. He was also among several celebrities who agreed to pay the SEC in a crypto settlement.
But it appears Jake has turned his attention toward fighting, having launched his professional career in 2018 and having since used his platform to give lesser-known fighters a fighting chance.
Among them, Guerrero.
"[Jake] is known as an influencer but he's giving opportunities to boxers that haven't had one to come up and get that shine," said Guerrero. I'm grateful for that."
Guerrero first began training at a gym in North Bergen, after graduating from Wood-Ridge High School. When he wasn't training, he worked a construction job in New York City.
It wasn't until 2019 that Guerrero decided to open a gym of his own. The timing turned out to have been perfect as he was laid off from his construction job right around the pandemic. He used his severance package to stay afloat and then poured everything he had into Combat Fitness.
Once he was given the green light to open officially, he leaned into personal training and boxing.
"Initially I never wanted to compete," Guerrero said. "I was into empowerment."
But Guerrero has an inherent competitive edge and, once he got into sparring, he was curious to find his true potential. Guerrero dabbled in New Jersey Diamond Gloves, the state's amateur circuit before making his professional debut at Biaggios in Paramus in 2023.
"We had the place packed," said Guerrero, who back then was fighting at 165 pounds. "It ended up in a draw which was controversial. I dropped him in the first round and had him hurt multiple times throughout the fight."
After that, Guerrero shifted his focus back to Combat Fitness and developing his brand.
Two weeks ago, Guerrero was approached about the Paul vs. Perry undercard fight. He'd be up against a guy named Ariel Perez who's 3-0, and — of course — on a "mega platform," Guerrero said.
Agreeing to the fight was an easy "yes" for Guerrero this time, who has spent the past two weeks staying on strict low-carb, high-protein diet. He's been training two or three times a day.
Down from 195 pounds, Guerrero weighed in on Friday, July 19 at 174.4 pounds.
"I'm expecting a very aggressive, wild type of fighter," he said. "But I believe my skills, my quickness, and my experience is going to be overwhelming for him to find me, and land those big shots that he’s looking for."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Newark and receive free news updates.
