Robert Guerrero Must Improve Defense After Tough Loss to Floyd Mayweather

As if the brutal slugfest against Andre Berto wasn't evidence enough, the dismantling of Robert Guerrero by Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday showed that "The Ghost" still needs plenty of work on his defense.

It's ironic that Guerrero is nicknamed "The Ghost" because opponents appear to be able to see him just fine. In November, Berto connected on 44 percent of his punches against Guerrero, including 50 percent of his power shots, according to CompuBox, via BoxingScene.com. 

On Saturday, Mayweather landed 41 percent of his punches, including a whopping 60 percent of his power shots, according to CompuBox.

But don't just take my word for it. Plenty of people have noticed Guerrero's defense, or lack thereof.

Boxing writer Ryan Bivins tweeted during Saturday's fight:

"

Mayweather landing 61% of his power shots. Guerrero's defense has been suspect to say the least. #boxing #MayDay

— Ryan Bivins (@sweetboxing) May 5, 2013"

Sal Iacono of Jimmy Kimmel Live tweeted:

All joking aside, it was easy to predict Mayweather doing what he did against Guerrero. After all, few boxers have ever been able to find holes in Money May's defense.

But the slugfest against Berto was more indicative of Guerrero's deficiencies on defense. 

Although Guerrero defeated Berto via unanimous decision in November, he deserved that fight because he was more active, not because he was more effective. He threw 731 punches to Berto's 411. That included a staggering 611 power punches. 

Ironically, Berto gave Guerrero somewhat of a preview of what he would see against Mayweather, albeit an incomplete preview. Berto curiously tried Mayweather's famed shoulder roll on defense in that fight, but failed miserably.

Guerrero was introduced to the real shoulder roll against Mayweather (will the real shoulder roll please stand up?) and it wasn't pretty.

The good news is that Guerrero fought against one of the greatest defensive masterminds in boxing history. If he's perceptive, he'll pick up on some defensive tactics he could work on. Heck, he has plenty of tape to review.

If the 30-year-old really wants to become a better boxer and bring more to the table than just his offensive game, he'll work hard on his defense. If his discouraging defeat at the hands of Mayweather wasn't a wake-up call, I don't know what is.

The young Saul "Canelo" Alvarez showed against Austin Trout that he is taking the steps necessary to become boxing's next star, improving his defense while maintaining his advantage on offense.

The question is, will Guerrero do the same?