CUBAN BOXER YURI GAMBOA ON HBO ON SATURDAY

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Yuriorkis Gamboa: Next In Line

By Jake Donovan (May 13, 2008)

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We look for it once every generation. If that’s too long to wait, then it’s every four years and the fresh crop of Olympians turning pro.

 

Every once in a while, we come across blue-chippers that pan out. Other times, it’s too much too soon for prospective candidates, who crash and burn before leaving a mark of any kind. Then there are those who never quite advance beyond “work in progress.”

 

It’s the latter category that seems to have littered the past two U.S. Olympic classes. The very best members of the ’04 grads are just now establishing themselves as notable prospects. Eight years later, few of our top American amateurs of 2000 can manage to crack a top ten of a particular division, with only Jermain Taylor managing to distinguish himself as the best of his weight class, though that doesn’t even hold true today.

 

Perhaps the biggest problem is that Americans have been looking in the wrong places when turning toward the future. Rather than glancing in the backyard, it’s time to look at Olympians and rising prospects from other countries in hopes of discovering the next big thing.

 

It is then, that you will stumble upon Yuriorkis Gamboa.

 

Stateside cable giant HBO is finally on board, after having invested years and dollars in the best America’s had to offer. The Cuban makes his HBO debut this weekend in yet another stiff challenge, when he meets Dominican lightweight contender Darling Jimenez. The bout is the final leg of a Boxing After Dark tripleheader aptly labeled “Night of the Rising Stars” (Saturday, HBO 9:45PM ET/PT).

 

Some stateside fans might’ve caught a glimpse earlier this year, when the 26-year old Gamboa (9-0, 8KO) made his televised debut on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. A glimpse was all he offered, tearing through normally serviceable North Carolina prospect Johnnie Edwards in less than a round.

 

It was his second straight opening-round stoppage (both coming in 2008), lending credence to his nickname “El Ciclon de Guantánamo” (The Guantánamo Cyclone).

 

Those who’ve yet to see him in action surely have read about him by now. His background story is all too familiar among noted Cuban amateurs, but still worth retelling, especially when it involves talent this good.

 

Having captured Olympic gold for the Cuban team in 2004, Gamboa was being groomed for a second medal four years later. He seemed up to the task, at least for the next two years. That changed in late 2006, when he, along with teammates Odlanier Solis and Yan Barthelemy defected from the team while training in Venezuela for the Pan-Am games.

 

Landing in Colombia, the original plan called for the trio to gain entrance into the United States, where they planned to make their pro debut (in Miami) before establishing permanent residence in Germany while fighting for German-based boxing promotional group Arena Box.

 

Things quickly changed once customs became involved. US Homeland Security agreed to allow Gamboa and friends into the states, only for their decision to be overturned by Colombian officials, who wanted to wait until they were able to obtain German visas.

 

The delay was minimal, two weeks or so, but the plans were dramatically altered. No longer was Miami or a stateside pro debut in the cards. Instead it was off to Deutschland, where Gamboa would make his pro debut last April.

 

Most rookie prospects are afforded the chance to pad their records in the early stages, against competition ranging from pro debuters to no-hopers. Gamboa turned pro against Alexis Manvelyan, 6-1 going in, with more than three years in the pay ranks.

 

Manvelyan would be the least experienced or established fighter the Cuban has faced to date. He’s also the only among Gamboa’s first nine victims to last the distance, though it required his suffering an official knockdown in the third round (a standing eight count as he was taking excessive punishment, though not enough to warrant a stoppage) and being shut out across the board at the end of the four-round affair.

 

Through his first nine fights, Gamboa’s opponents boasted a combined record of 146-29-6 heading in. The winning percentage increases this weekend when Jimenez’ credentials are factored into the mix. But the ambitious matchmaking is just one of many factors that separate the Cuban from most prospects today.

 

Whereas most prospects fight the same and win the same against standard prospect-level match-ups (stationary punch-and-Judy dolls), Gamboa offers a different look against a wide variety of opposition, or as wide a variety as you can come up with in ten fights (including this weekend’s).

 

Gamboa showed in his pro debut his in-ring intelligence and, to some degree, patience, as he was forced to deal with an opponent who became intent on surviving more so than trying as the fight wore on. His next few fights were simply the Cuban at his most lethal.

 

It was against Samuel Kebede in just his sixth pro fight that offered the first hint of the complete fighter Gamboa can become, if not already there. To give an idea of where Gamboa was already at in the infant stages of his career, Kebede boasted a mark of 25-1 going in, with the lone loss coming at the hands of former featherweight beltholder Scott Harrison.

 

Those in search of criticism could point out that it took Gamboa five times longer to get rid of Kebede than it did Harrison, who dusted off the Swede in just under a minute. Gamboa allowed him to escape the first round, though not before twice sending him to the canvas, and even flipping to southpaw after the second knockdown, as if to carry him for the sake of getting in at least a couple of rounds.

 

Once Gamboa showed off his switch-hitting abilities, it was back to business in a brutal second round. The punishment ended with a right uppercut that left Kebede momentarily suspended before crumbling to the canvas in cartoon-like fashion, bringing a sudden end to the bout.

 

In desperate search to keep their charge hungry and focused, Arena Box booked Gamboa’s next fight 11 days later. It would also become a series of firsts for the Cuban. For starters, it would mark his pro debut – nine months longer than expected, but still happening, nevertheless.

 

The fourth round of the bout would also see Gamboa suffer the first – and to date, lone – knockdown of his career, when a right hand left him dazed just enough to allow opponent Adailaton DeJesus to follow up. The knockdown itself was a questionable call, but still came about due to the one notable flaw in Gamboa’s repertoire – fighting far too often with his hands by his side, a habit that surfaces the moment he knows – or believes – he has the fight in the bag.

 

The fight would also become the first time Yuriorkis was extended six rounds. That DeJesus lasted five rounds AND scored a knockdown could be viewed as a moral victory in its own right. That’s before you take into consideration that he suffered a first round knockdown himself, and that Gamboa came back with such vengeance after hitting the deck, that DeJesus couldn’t even pull a 10-8 score in that round. Oh, and then the matter of Gamboa unmercifully battering the Brazilian throughout the fifth before bringing an end to everyone’s night 35 seconds into the final round.

 

DeJesus learned the hard way that Gamboa can atone for his defensive lapses with his advanced infighting abilities. Almost like a younger (and much thinner) version of James Toney, Gamboa can stand inches in front of you and make you miss with every punch, then tattooing you with nearly every punch in return.

 

The eight knockouts in nine fights suggest one-hitter quitter abilities, particularly his last two. but Gamboa can take you out with a variety of shots, in a variety of ways. A right hand shot can end your night early. You can absorb a fusillade of punches at a rapid-fire clip before being put to sleep by a clean-up left hook. Try protecting the head, and he’ll treat your midsection like a conga drum.

 

Many of these talents would’ve been on display in Gamboa’s intended 2008 opener, which was to be against former featherweight titlist Freddie Norwood, only for the aged southpaw to inexplicably pull out days before the fight.

 

In came Gilberto Luque, who’s scored an upset or two in his young career. But not on January 5, in Gamboa’s second straight stateside appearance, as Luque didn’t even last two minutes. If there’s an upside, he extended the Cuban slightly further off-camera than Johnnie Edwards seven weeks later on ESPN2.

 

There was enough upside in Gamboa – and stable mates Solis and Barthelemy for that matter – to convince New Jersey-based promoter Gary Shaw to get involved, inking a deal to where he now serves as the trio’s stateside promoter. The deal was signed weeks ago, though the relationship officially begins with this weekend’s card.

 

In the same spirit as his German business partners, Shaw approaches Gamboa’s career with the same ambition. On paper, Darling Jimenez (23-2-2, 14KO) represents the biggest challenge of Gamboa’s young career. It’s quite a statement, considering that Jimenez is a replacement opponent, undefeated but overprotected featherweight contender Marcos Ramirez. Gamboa-Ramirez would’ve been an appetizing battle of young, unbeaten talent, only for Ramirez’ handlers deciding a few weeks ago that even the allure of fighting on HBO wasn’t enough to expose their charge against boxing’s next big thing.

 

Jimenez has no problem taking such risks. He proved it last April, all too willing to accept an assignment against comebacking Mike Anchondo. Few gave him a chance of upsetting the former junior lightweight titlist. Jimenez not only did just that, but turned the trick in overwhelming fashion, battering the Californian in less than three rounds in scoring the biggest win of his career.

 

If there’s a downside to the fight, it’s that it was the last time Jimenez has stepped foot in the ring. Thirteen months of inactivity is not the ideal scenario to enter a fight against Gamboa. Then again, perhaps guys like Freddie Norwood and Marcos Ramirez have the right idea.

 

Perhaps the best way to approach Yuriorkis Gamboa-Toledano, is simply to not step to him at all.

 

We’ll find out for sure this weekend. Chances are, when all is said and done, we won’t be in such a hurry in the next few months to search for the next big thing among the next Olympic Games.

 

By fight three of this weekend’s telecast, we’ll have already found him.

[Guest Guest]

Yuriorkis Gamboa: Next In Line

 

We look for it once every generation. If that’s too long to wait, then it’s every four years and the fresh crop of Olympians turning pro.

 

Every once in a while, we come across blue-chippers that pan out. Other times, it’s too much too soon for prospective candidates, who crash and burn before leaving a mark of any kind. Then there are those who never quite advance beyond “work in progress.”

 

It’s the latter category that seems to have littered the past two U.S. Olympic classes. The very best members of the ’04 grads are just now establishing themselves as notable prospects. Eight years later, few of our top American amateurs of 2000 can manage to crack a top ten of a particular division, with only Jermain Taylor managing to distinguish himself as the best of his weight class, though that doesn’t even hold true today.

 

Perhaps the biggest problem is that Americans have been looking in the wrong places when turning toward the future. Rather than glancing in the backyard, it’s time to look at Olympians and rising prospects from other countries in hopes of discovering the next big thing.

 

It is then, that you will stumble upon Yuriorkis Gamboa.

 

Stateside cable giant HBO is finally on board, after having invested years and dollars in the best America’s had to offer. The Cuban makes his HBO debut this weekend in yet another stiff challenge, when he meets Dominican lightweight contender Darling Jimenez. The bout is the final leg of a Boxing After Dark tripleheader aptly labeled “Night of the Rising Stars” (Saturday, HBO 9:45PM ET/PT).

 

Some stateside fans might’ve caught a glimpse earlier this year, when the 26-year old Gamboa (9-0, 8KO) made his televised debut on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. A glimpse was all he offered, tearing through normally serviceable North Carolina prospect Johnnie Edwards in less than a round.

 

It was his second straight opening-round stoppage (both coming in 2008), lending credence to his nickname “El Ciclon de Guantánamo” (The Guantánamo Cyclone).

 

Those who’ve yet to see him in action surely have read about him by now. His background story is all too familiar among noted Cuban amateurs, but still worth retelling, especially when it involves talent this good.

 

 

 

Gamboa is a stud and I think both the other two feature bouts on HBO will be terrific as well. James Kirkland is a mini Tyson and Alfred Angulo looks to be as explosive as any young fighter out there.