Focus on Yuriorkis Gamboa
The Cuban amateur boxing system has produced some of the most talented boxers of their generation. With a singular focus on winning amateur world championships and Olympic gold medals, the Cuban amateur boxing team has become a factory producing great champions. However, the fact that Cuba does not allow professional boxing or its boxers to turn professional in other countries has robbed fight fans about seeing some great fighters compete against the world’s best.
This has also meant that some of the top fighters in Cuban amateur boxing have been forced to defect to the United States in order to further their careers and make a living at their sport. Much like how top Cuban amateur baseball players have frequently been forced to defect to the United States under dangerous circumstances, many top Cuban boxers have also been forced to leave behind friends and family to start a new life as a professional boxer in the United States.
Some of these fighters have gone on to great careers in professional boxing. Olympic gold medallist turned multiple-time professional boxing champion Joel Casamayor is one example of this. However, many former Cuban amateur champions have fizzled after defecting to the United States. The reasons are varied, from having trouble adjusting to success and life in America to not being able to translate their amateur boxing style to the professional game.
One boxer who has appears to be poised to follow Casamayor as a great Cuban amateur fighter turned brilliant professional is Yuriorkis Gamboa. Since defecting to the United States in 2007, Gamboa has become one of the most sought-after boxers in the sport. He’s risen to the level of WBA featherweight champion and – perhaps more importantly – is one of the few fighters in the lighter weight classes who are seen as a potential draw within the sport and someone who can attract an audience in the stands and on television.
His amateur credentials do not tell the whole story of his boxing style. While most former amateur fighters – particularly those from the Cuban amateur boxing community – are technically sound and focus on accuracy and defence rather, Gamboa is a pure action puncher. As his record of 18-0 with 15 knockouts indicates, he has plenty of power. In fact, he’s considered one of the top power punchers in the lower weight classes. He’s also a fighter who is seemingly unconcerned about defence. He’s more than happy to take a punch to give a punch, confident in his ability to absorb more punishment than his opponents.
In many ways, Casamayor is the closest cultural analogue to Gamboa. Like Gamboa, Casamayor won an Olympic gold medal for Cuba before defecting and turning professional. And Casamayor was also able to adapt easily to the professional style by showing solid power, an ability to throw a high volume of punches and a willingness to mix it up with other elite fighters in creating highly entertaining bouts.
Gamboa’s exciting and dynamic fighting style has made him a popular boxer in America, with many of his fights becoming “appointment television” for fight fans. He first earned the WBA featherweight title in dramatic fashion, knocking out Jose Rojas in the eighth round in April 2009. He’s defended the title three times since then, stopping both Whyber Garcia and Rogers Mtagwa inside of four rounds before going the full 12 rounds against Jonathan Victor Barros in his last title defence in March.
Gamboa has been the subject of much debate in recent weeks, as he’s been close to locking up several potential big money fights without one coming through. However, it appears that he is close to signing for a unification bout against WBC featherweight champion Elio Rojas (22-1, 13 KOs) in September in Las Vegas.
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