CARSON, Calif. -- Robert Guerrero rebounded from a fourth-round knockdown and won a split decision over Aron Martinez in a welterweight bout Saturday.
The verdict for Guerrero (33-3-1) was booed by a portion of the crowd after the former four-division champion rallied in the second half of the 10-round bout to beat Martinez (19-4-1), a 20-to-1 underdog in some betting venues.
Despite two losses in his last three fights, Guerrero had much more trouble than expected against Martinez, a local journeyman who has lost three of his last four.
Guerrero went down from a heavy combination of Martinez's punches right before the fourth-round bell after extensive fighting in close. He gathered himself and eked out the decision with solid work from a more cautious distance at the outdoor StubHub Center south of downtown Los Angeles.
Guerrero said his corner "wanted me to get on my jab more, box more, and that's what I did. I don't know what it is about this arena, man. It makes me want to stand and trade."
Judge Max DeLuca scored the bout 95-94 for Martinez, while Eddie Hernandez favored Guerrero 95-94. Judge Jerry Cantu also gave it to Guerrero, 97-92.
Guerrero was blown out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2013, and he won a brutal decision over Yoshihiro Kamegai at StubHub Center last year before losing a one-sided decision to Keith Thurman in March.
Guerrero developed swelling around his left eye in the first round, and his nose was bleeding by the third while he fought with his back against the ropes. Late in the fourth, Martinez caught Guerrero with a combination of uppercuts and short punches to the body, sending him to the canvas.
Guerrero beat the count and made it to the fifth, and he had better success when he didn't fight in close.
Earlier, heavyweight Dominic Breazeale remained unbeaten with a third-round stoppage victory, knocking down Cuba's Yasmany Consuegra three times.
After getting hit hard the opening round, Breazeale (15-0, 14 KOs) knocked down Consuegra with a right to the head in the second. The 2012 U.S. Olympian hit Consuegra (17-1) with a right uppercut early in the third before ending it with a left to the head.
