Robert Guerrero vs. Aron Martinez: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (33-3-1, 18 KOs) survived a stunning fourth-round knockdown to earn a split-decision victory over the unheralded Aron Martinez (19-4-1, 4 KOs) on Saturday afternoon at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles.

ESPN's Dan Rafael provided the scores:

Guerrero, an experienced fighter who has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and most recently Keith Thurman, was shaky in the early rounds against Martinez, a boxer with four knockouts in 23 career fights coming into Saturday. Coming off a loss to Thurman, the 32-year-old knew he was vulnerable and couldn't take his opponent lightly.

"You never want to overlook anybody,” said Guerrero, via the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Robert Morales. “I don’t care who it is. You’ve got two hands, you can throw a punch. Anything can happen in the ring. So you never want to overlook anybody.

Martinez proved to be an effective brawler at close range, as he was strong enough to trap Guerrero on the ropes in the fourth and score a knockdown with a crushing right hook. Guerrero's iron will brought him back into this match, and his versatility in the ring led to him winning several exchanges in the later rounds and, ultimately, the bout.

Showtime Sports' Brian Custer disagreed with the decision, and Rafael took issue with one score in particular:

The fight was much closer than a 97-92 scorecard; the first two judges' scores were much more indicative of the way the bout actually unfolded on this early card.

UCNLive.com's Steve Kim and Rafael pointed out the sparse crowd and lack of energy at the beginning of the fight:

The first round didn't give the crowd much to cheer about in terms of action.

Guerrero did grow into the fight in the second round, battering Martinez at close range and landing a punch flush on his jaw that drew a loud reaction from those in attendance. Martinez did well with the close-range action, countering with strong uppercuts of his own and doing a fine job of slugging his way off the ropes.

Guerrero was the aggressor for the most part, walking Martinez down, but the latter seemed to invite the phone booth-style boxing. 

Some might have expected The Ghost would walk over the unsung Martinez, but he instead found a willing, capable brawler.

The fourth round continued in a similar vein to the first three, with Martinez and Guerrero trading punches and searching for angles with their foreheads touching. Martinez managed to trap Guerrero on the ropes at the end of the frame, and a clean right hook to finish off a textbook combo dropped The Ghost to the mat for a seven count.

Rafael praised the knockdown combo:

Morales noted it was a surprising development considering Martinez's record:

PBC provided a look at the crucial blow:

To his credit, Guerrero recovered quite well from the knockdown. He survived an early onslaught in the fifth and by the sixth round had moved the bout to the center of the ring, where he was able to use his jab and slow down Martinez's attack.

The 34-year-old Martinez didn't press his advantage enough once the fight moved away from a brawl, and Guerrero used the extra space to throw quick combos inside before darting back out of range. PBC noted his renewed energy:

The Gilroy, California, native fought as if the knockdown had never happened, and a final intense flurry at the end of the 10th round brought the crowd to its feet in appreciation of a hard-fought bout.

There's a great case to be made for Martinez winning this bout based on the fourth-round knockdown. While he doesn't appear to have the tactical acumen to survive quicker boxers, he could prove to be an entertaining draw on an undercard for a bigger fight.

Although the judges awarded Guerrero the victory, he looked nothing like a top-tier welterweight contender. His quick turnaround from the loss to Thurman on March 7 couldn't have done him any favors, but one would have expected a better performance.

His reputation will earn him a fight against a big-name boxer if he wants it, but it wouldn't be at all surprising if an up-and-comer like Sadam Ali pounced on the aging star.