Mayweather vs. Guerrero: Recapping Exciting Pre-Fight Hype

As boxing fans eagerly await the high-profile encounter between Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero, the hype machine has already been working overtime. It's a chance for the sport to steal the spotlight and the promoters don't want to miss it.

Mayweather returns to the ring almost a year to the day since his victory over Miguel Cotto to move his career record to 43-0. Guerrero hopes to end that incredible undefeated run in what's easily the biggest bout of his career.

One way they are trying to drive up interest in the fight is with a billboard in New York City. When you want to attract attention, putting up a massive sign in Times Square (via Boxing Hype) is definitely one way to do it.

Luckily, all the work appears to be paying off. Anticipation continues to grow with the weigh-in and fight, the two most interesting aspects of the entire process, still to come. People want to see how much Mayweather has left in the tank.

Two straight losses by Manny Pacquiao, to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez respectively, has left "Money" all alone atop the boxing world. A win on Saturday would further solidify his status as the best boxer on the planet.

Guerrero has other ideas, of course. The 30-year-old southpaw knows a victory over Mayweather is exactly what he needs to take his career to the next level. He must find a way to penetrate the defensive wall that has stymied opponents for nearly two decades.

As a part of building up the fight, he talked with Jim Rome on the CBS Sports Network about Saturday night's main event:

Another sign that the hype is starting to have an impact is the fact other athletes are starting to make their predictions. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mike Vick and former star wideout Chad Johnson are among those picking Mayweather to win yet again.

The promoters deserve a lot of credit. Mayweather is a heavy favorite (-750 according to Bovada.lv), which means casual fans could have easily ignored what looks like mismatch on paper. But they have built it into a must-see event.

Whether or not the fight actually lives up to the growing hype is unknown. It doesn't really matter in the end, though. As long as a lot of people are watching, they can worry about any lingering disappointment of a potential lackluster bout at a later time. It's all about the here and now.

And the hype train for Mayweather and Guerrero continues to pick up steam.