'Jersey underdog': Boxer from North Jersey to fight on the Jake Paul undercard

HACKENSACK — Dane Guerrero has been boxing for most of his adult life. However, later this month he’ll be fighting in just his second professional match, at age 36, on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry fight.

The city resident, who owns a personal training and boxing gym in Ridgefield Park, says he wants to show that “it’s never too late to follow your dreams.”

“I’m not a young buck to be doing what I’m doing,” he said. “But if you’re dedicated and put your mind to it, you can do it. I want to set an example to people at my gym — boxing is for everyone, whether you do it at a high level, or a lower level. It’s never too late.”

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After graduating from Wood-Ridge High School, Guerrero worked in construction. He started training in mixed martial arts before moving into boxing.

“I came from a troubled kind of background,” he said. “I just didn’t have a place to take my frustrations out. I was a little bit of a hothead. Mixed martial arts and then boxing gave me that outlet.”

Guerrero began training at a boxing gym in North Bergen, where he fell in love with the sport’s discipline and craft.

"It’s physical as well as mental,” he said. “You’re getting into shape and learning an art that you can call upon when you need to defend yourself. It’s always at hand. What other sport could actually save your life?”

He opened his own gym, Combat Fitness Club in Ridgefield Park, in 2019. Over the years, Guerrero competed in local amateur fights with the Golden Gloves and Diamond Gloves. But it wasn’t until April 2023 that he made his professional debut in a fight held at a restaurant in Paramus.

The fight ended in a draw, but “it was very intense,” Guerrero said. “It was an exciting fight. I had dropped him in the first round. The crowd was really into it.”

Then three weeks ago, the matchmaker from his first fight called to ask if he would be interested in flying to Florida to fight on the Jake Paul undercard.

Paul, the social media star, was originally set to fight Mike Tyson, but the fight was postponed after the legendary boxer suffered an injury.

Paul will now fight Mike Perry on July 20 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

Guerrero is fighting Tampa boxer Ariel “The Golden Hulk” Perez, who is 3-0 with two knockouts, in a four-round light heavyweight fight earlier that night. The fight will be broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view.

“That’s the ultimate stage right there," Guerrero said. "Going from the local fighting circuit to a global televised event, that’s the dream.”

The short notice meant Guerrero had to train quickly to get ready for the match.

"I’ve been killing myself, getting into shape. I wasn’t prepared,” he said. "This whole time I’ve been grinding, working out three times a day.”

The fighting weight of 175 is 10 pounds heavier than his first match, but Guerrero said his speed will help him against a bigger opponent.

“I’m mainly a boxer in the sense I’m looking to counterpunch and basically capitalize on errors. I’m pretty quick, I’ve got snappy punches,” he said. “I’m the Jersey underdog just looking to make a big statement in Tampa. If this goes well, I’ll be looking for another shot.”