Photo: Vincent Ethier – Christopher Guerrero, aka ‘Machine Gun’.
It’s Friday night, May 17, 2013, in Gatineau. Ghislain Maduma has just defeated Saul Carreon in the main event of one of EOTTM’s early fight cards.
Maduma’s trainer, Mike Moffa, calls one of his young apprentice boxers into the ring to join in the celebrations.
That young boxer is Christopher Guerrero.
He’s only been boxing for a few months, but as serious as a 12-year-old can be, he tells Camille Estephan: “One day, it’ll be my turn.” He poses with Maduma’s WBC Continental Americas title.
At the time, it was just a nice moment. But it turned into a great story.
Because now, it’s his turn.
Photo: AR Photo Zone, Gatineau, 2013
Twelve Years Later
Today, Christopher Guerrero is known as Machine Gun.
He’s an undefeated professional fighter under Eye of the Tiger, boasting a perfect 13-0 record, and he’s ranked 13th in the IBF world rankings at 147 lbs.
Though the design has changed slightly, the green belt Maduma once wore will now be on the line for Guerrero on April 10, when he faces Mexican power puncher Oliver Quintana at the Casino de Montréal.
So, how did he get here?
“Through grit and grind,” as Marc Ramsay once told me. But there’s more to it.
Photo: AR Photo Zone, Gatineau, 2013
Father, Mother, and Son
Fast forward to another Thursday night, October 27, 2022, back in Gatineau. The crowd is buzzing. Boxing has finally returned to the Outaouais region, and those who arrived early witness ‘MG’ Guerrero’s fifth career victory—and his first knockout.
Talking to him for the first time, I ask how it all started.
It began with his father, Oscar, who took him to the gym to learn how to defend himself after another kid “punched him in the face.”
Photo: Vincent Ethier, Gatineau, 2022
But recently, I learned that it was thanks to his mother, Rosemary, that he stuck with it and made it to where he is today.
“Even after winning my first Canadian title, I thought about quitting. You see all your friends finishing high school, going to college, or starting work. You’re young, and you start wondering if you should be doing the same thing.”
Some parents would have encouraged their child to choose stability. But in the Guerrero family, taking risks is second nature.
“My mom knew. She knew I loved it, that this was what I wanted to do, so she just kept supporting me. Good thing I wanted it, because she pretty much made me keep going,” he says with a laugh, before turning serious again: “I wouldn’t be here without them, especially without her at that moment,” adds the son of a family of six.
Photo: Vincent Ethier, Montreal, 2025
The Moffa Special
Following his mother’s advice, Guerrero didn’t quit. He won a second Canadian title in 2019 and, in December 2020, signed with Eye of the Tiger to kick off his pro career in Mexico the following month.
From day one through his first four professional fights, Christopher Guerrero was trained by Mike Moffa. Then, Giuseppe Moffa took over.
Photo: Vincent Ethier, Shawinigan, 2024
The transition happened naturally. Guerrero, now 23, and Moffa, a former Canadian junior champion at 25, grew up together at Underdog Gym. Their chemistry clicked immediately.
From 2022 to 2023, Guerrero racked up five consecutive stoppage victories.
Under Moffa’s guidance, he trained in Cuba and Philadelphia, where he sparred with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. And it paid off.
In May and September, he demolished Americans Kenny Larson and Courtney Pennington, winning by knockout and earning Performance of the Night honors.
“Mike is a legend. He’s seen and done it all, and he took me far… With Giuseppe, the energy is just different. It feels like an advantage to have the same mindset because we’re both young and hungry,” Guerrero told me.
Photo: EOTTM, Cuernavaca, 2021
That hunger is paying off. Marc Ramsay called Guerrero “EOTTM’s fastest-rising prospect in 2024.” And the momentum continues in 2025. His first scheduled 10-rounder (which lasted only four rounds) was in February, and his first title fight is set for April.
Back in 2013, he walked to the ring carrying that belt for Maduma. In 2025, he could leave the ring carrying it for himself.
It’s his turn… or Quintana’s—but I’ll always choose optimism.
Julie Bertrand and Réjean Tremblay have my number if they want to book the next documentary.
Photo: Vincent Ethier, Gatineau, 2023
Fun Facts
Thanks to his Mexican (father) and Italian (mother) roots, Christopher Guerrero speaks French, English, Spanish, and Italian.
And while we’re at it:
Jhon Orobio now has a score of 10 in French on Duolingo.
Moreno Fendero has an 11 in English… but his streak is inactive…
