Ariel Perez and Dane Guerrero are burdened with a huge responsibility as they kick off the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry card at Amalie Arena, Tampa. Perez and Guerrero debuted last year and are already part of such a big event!

So, can this light-heavyweight match set the tone for the rest of their fights? Will the boxers from Florida and New Jersey make their people proud? To know the answers and who we feel has a better chance on the 20th of July, scroll down to read our detailed analysis.

Tale of the tape: Ariel Perez vs. Dane Guerrero by the numbers

In his last fight, Ariel Perez did not look desperate and was accurate with his jab to Steven Motley’s head. However, at a time when Motley attacked, Perez, 5′ 10″, besides lacking quickness, forgot to twist and be on his right toe, which not only resulted in a futile right hand but also exposed the inexperience of a pro fighter with less than four matches in the ring. On the other hand, Motley was deficient in, confidence and techniques. Yet, some of his straight punches penetrated the loose guard held by the 32-year-old.

On the other hand, Perez suffered a cut early in the fight and started bleeding. But, Motley failed to capitalize on that as he continued hesitating and playing it safe. Meanwhile, staying very much in the fight, Perez, who officially weighed in at 175 lbs today for the match against Dane Guerrero, demonstrated better stamina than Motley. Finally, he won the contest via TKO in the fourth and final round of the fight. And as of now, Perez, 3-0-0[2 KOs] has won 66.67% of his pro fights via knockouts.

On the other hand, Dane Guerrero has had only one professional fight. In his debut in April this year, Dane faced Andre Hinmon for four rounds and the fight ended in a draw. So, currently, Guerrero is at 0-0-1. There is very little to say about Guerrero’s boxing right now. However, one must mention that the 35-year-old owns the Combat Fitness Club in New Jersey, making those who train under him excited to see the boxer from NJ enter the ring on Jake Paul’s undercard. At the official weigh-in, he weighed 174.4lbs for tomorrow’s fight.

Who do we see winning between Perez and Guerrero?

As per the performance Ariel Perez delivered against Steven Motley in his last fight, it seems there is a lot for the boxer from Florida to learn. He needs to work on his basics and improve his straight punches. For a Light-Heavyweight, Perez’s jabs and straight hands will contain more power provided he pays attention to details – the distribution of gap between the feet, the turning on the toes, and effective use of his hips to drive his punches home.

Meanwhile, as Ryan Songalia from The Ring observed, in Dane Guerrero’s debut against Andre Hinmon Jr., Dane “was credited with a dubious knockdown in the first round” which kind of neutralized a round Hinmon had “otherwise dominated.” But, you cannot expect to get lucky every time. And especially when Perez was able to TKO Steven Motley, it would be wise of Dane not to leave anything to chance.

Again, as per Songalia’s valuable account, for the first two rounds, Dane’s opponent, Andre Hinmon landed “the heavier punches.” So, one word of advice for newbie Dane Guerrero: With the crowd at such a big event, it will be an overwhelming experience for a novice boxer. However, not letting Perez take control of the fight early would be a good way to go for Guerrero. If Perez is successful in landing the “heavier punches” like Hinmon was in the first two rounds, it is very likely to affect Dane’s confidence.

Again as Songalia pointed out, it takes Guerrero some time to find his rhythm. That is fine, but, taking too long would be an unadvisable prospect. Keeping Perez at a distance with well-timed jabs would be a good place to start for Guerrero. With that said, provided the KOs on his resume, the shape he displayed at the weigh-in, and his ability to withstand the pain seen against Motley, there is a very good chance for Ariel Perez to come out ahead of Dane Guerrero. But, inside the boxing ring, who knows? Things can always change.

Anyway, who do you feel has a better chance of winning? Debate in the comments below. For more boxing updates, follow EssentiallySports!