Gamboa Impressive!

By Tom Donelson

(member of the Boxing Writers Association, International Boxing Reseach Organization and contributes to numerous boxing publications)

ESPN featured on Friday night, Cuban prospects night and HBO on Saturday night featured Cuban Yuriokis Gamboa defending his WBA featherweight against Jorge Solis. It could be said that of all of the Cuban fighters fighting today, Gamboa may be the best.

In the opening bout, upcoming star Miguel Angel Garcia fought Matt Remillard in a battle between undefeated fighters. In the first round, Remillard tried to get inside but halfway through the round, Garcia unleashed a battery of punches before the fight settled down with Remillard continued to move forward but his offense was ineffectual.  Garcia battery of punches showed the difference between the two fighters for Remillard punches lacked pop whereas Garcia punches went through Remillard defenses.

In the second round, Garcia moved around the ring while nailing Remillard with hard shots whereas Remillard did managed to connect on a couple of hooks to the body while pursuing.  At the end of the round, Remillard did manage to nail Garcia with a right hand.

In the third round, Garcia jabbed consistently and this opened up Remillard for his right hand and occasional left hooks.  Garcia punches continued to go through Remillard’s defenses and Remillard started to slow down as he could not penetrate Garcia defenses and when he did attack, he got countered with hard punches.  Remillard was facing the fact that his strategy was not working and he may not have the style to adjust whereas Garcia was both a boxer and puncher.

Max Kellerman observed about Remillard, “He was competitive in each round but he was not winning rounds, so he was getting shut out.”  Garcia was not exposing himself but he would take advantage of Remillard own offensive burst.

Harold Lederman summed up the fight during the seventh round when he noted that no one was cheering or standing up at Garcia workmanlike dismantling of Remillard.  Lederman basically implored Garcia to use his superior skills and go for broke to knock out the outclassed Remillard.

In the eighth round, Kellerman noted that Remillard needed to go outside his comfort zone and go for a knockout but as Roy Jones countered, what was Remillard going to gamble with since he was not a big puncher nor as fast as Garcia?  By the ninth round, Garcia started walk Remillard down and backing him back, taking the intensity out of Remillard, intensity that was part of Remillard game plan early in the fight but as the fight progressed, Garcia simply wore his opponent down.

With thirty seconds left in the round, Garcia nailed Remillard with a right uppercut followed by a left hook to the head that sent Remillard down.  Garcia continued his assault and send Remillard down for a second time with a combination.

In the tenth round, Garcia punished Remillard throughout the first two minutes and a combination sent Remillard down for the third time but Remillard managed to survive despite being pummeled.  When Remillard came back to his corner, his trainer stopped the fight as they realized their fighter was too courageous for his own good. Remillard wanted to continue but one of his corner man simply told is fighter, “Blame me but it is over.”   Garcia spent most of fight, boxing and jabbing, but when he had his opponent in trouble, he finished him off.

Yuriokis Gamboa came into the fight as the champion but he was fighting a fighter in Jorge Solis, who was five inches taller.  Gamboa looked like a miniature Mike Tyson but fight a different strategy since he could box outside and in one of those ironies; Roy Jones noted that the taller fighter Solis needed to hit Gamboa in the body.

While the first round was uneventful, the second round began with a Gamboa chopping right hand sending Solis down.  Gamboa continued his aggressive pattern as he sent Solis down a second time after a series of body shots soften Solis up.

In the third round, Gamboa took Solis apart and at the end of the bout, a Gamboa left hook sent Solis down.  Solis looked confused and dazed as he sat on his stool between the third and fourth round.

Gamboa unleashed a right hand that sent Solis down a fourth time halfway in the fourth round but Solis got up as he turn to his corner to signal that he was okay but Gamboa attacked with ferocity; trapping Solis on the rope.   Gamboa nailed Solis with a left hook followed by a left-right combination that shook Solis and then Gamboa followed up with a four-five punch combination that sent Solis down for good.

Gamboa showed hand speed that overwhelmed Solis and used his athletic skills to avoid getting hit with solid shots.  Watching Gamboa from ringside, Roy Jones must have felt he was watching a featherweight version of himself.   Gamboa does not fight like what the boxing book says you are suppose to fight but his unorthodox style is supplemented by his hand speed.  He is not a fighter you imitate but can enjoy watching.  Over the past weekend, Cuban fighters are making noises in different divisions with the goal of dominating professional ranks as they often do the Amateur ranks.

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