Is Yuriorkis Gamboa a Cyclone About to Peter Out?

Published

7 years ago

November 6, 2018

Three years after the conclusion of an incredible amateur career, which included a gold medal from the Athens 2004 Olympics, the Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa entered the sport of professional boxing with the ferocity of a hurricane. His punching power and fighting style allowed him to conquer the 126 lb. title in only 2 years.

But as time went on, the “Ciclón de Guantánamo” (“The Guantanamo Cyclone”) lost his compass inside and outside of the ring. Now approaching the age of 37, there is an uncertainty around his career – perhaps he is close to retirement – even though he remains optimistic regarding his upcoming fight against the Mexican Miguel Beltrán Jr. (33-6-0, 22 KOs) on the 10^thof November at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo in Miami.

Facing a rival seven years younger, and with an unclear future in the sport, Gamboa must do more than simply emerge victorious in his next fight. His future is hanging on by a thread and this could be his last battle inside the sport of prizefighting.

His career began with a spectacular knockout in the 3^rdround against Alexander Manvelyan on April 27^thof 2007, in Hamburg, Germany. This victory occurred after leaving his homeland for 6 months to train in Brazil and prepare for the Pan American games in Río de Janeiro.

Gamboa in Miami

“He’s regaining his explosiveness and I think he’s headed down the right path in order to once again achieve stardom,” said trainer Pedro “Peter” Roque to a group of reporters at Tropical Park Gym, in Miami. Roque continued, “He had an excellent preparation and is in superb conditions physically, technically and in health”.

The Cuban born Gamboa added two victories to his record last year, both by majority decision. The most recent being against the American Jason “El Canito” Sosa, November 25^thof 2017 at the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York.

There in the Big Apple, and on other occasions over the course of 11 years in the sport of boxing, Gamboa once tasted the canvas in the 7^thround and once had a point deducted in the 10^thfor repeatedly clinching his opponent. Three months before, Gamboa had won again by majority decision against the young Mexican Alexis “Baby” Reyes, at the Grand Oasis Arena in Cancun, Mexico. This time he had three points deducted due to technical fouls in the 5^th, 8^th, and 9^throunds.

“We’ve worked on a lot of technical aspects, mainly keeping his left hand up while he’s on the offensive,” affirmed Carlos Gamboa, the father of Yuriorkis. “On many occasions, he goes towards his opponent and isn’t defending himself with that hand”.

The bout between the former multiple world champion Gamboa and the Aztec Beltran Jr. will take place on the fair grounds of the Tamiami Park and not inside the Marlins Park Stadium, as was previously announced. Sources close to the event’s organizers say that the baseball installments demanded a costly insurance that was “impossible to pay”.

This will be Gamboa’s big opportunity to compete in front of the enormous Cuban community within Miami. This is the closest he’s been to fighting in front of his exiled compatriots since October of 2007, when he defeated the Brazilian Adailton “Precipicio” De Jesus at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, which neighbors Miami-Dade.

Beltran Jr., in his most recent fight, this past September 14^thin Culiacan, Mexico, won by knockout in the first round against his co-national Misael “El Toro” Muñoz. Referee Leonardo Bermúdez called a stop to the contest with only 2 seconds left. However, not much can be said of Beltran Jr.’s victory, considering Muñoz has an abysmal professional record of 14 losses, all by knockout, and has never tasted the sweetness of victory.

Gamboa’s executioners: Crawford and Castellanos

Gamboa conquered the WBA World Featherweight title with a spectacular knockout in the 4^thround against the Panamanian Wyler Garcia on October 10^thof 2009 at Madison Square Garden. The following year, on September 11^th, the Cuban acquired the vacant IBF World Featherweight title when he unanimously defeated the Mexican Orlando “Siri” Salido at the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. Gamboa fell to the canvas in the 8^thround, but Salido tasted the same medicine on more than one occasion in the 12^th.

Four years later, Gamboa made the mistake of taking on one of the world’s pound for pound best, the American Terence “Bud” Crawford in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska at the Century Link. Gamboa had only fought once in the 135 lb. division before crossing paths with Crawford, a born puncher who constantly changes his stance and creates tactical uncertainty amongst his opponents. As an appetizer to the unforgettable match against Crawford, The “Guantanamo Cyclone” unanimously defeated the Colombian Darleys Pérez, June 8^thof 2013 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, where Gamboa raised the Interim WBA World Lightweight title.

Motivated by his success thus far of 23 victories (17 by way of knockout and 6 by unanimous decision), Gamboa went up against Crawford, who gave him a beat down, including knockdowns in the 5^th, 8^thand a few more times in the 9^th. This resulted in referee Genaro Rodríguez bringing an end to the massacre at 2:53 of said round. With this victory, the North American retained his WBO World Lightweight title.

Six months later, Gamboa returned victorious, winning by TKO in the 6th round against Joel Montes de Oca. His streak continued, defeating Hylon Williams Jr. and René Alvarado, both by unanimous decision over the course of 10 rounds. But in his next contest, Gamboa arrived in poor physical condition and was mauled by the Mexican Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos at the luxurious MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Considering the records of both fighters, Gamboa was a big favorite to defeat Castellanos, who was 23-12 at the time. However, the Cuban came into the fight lacking speed and adequate preparation. In the 3^rdround, a straight right hand knocked down Gamboa. The following rounds consisted of more of the same, and with little or nothing left to offer, and without any possibility of changing the course of the fight, Gamboa’s corner conceded defeat before resuming the 7^thround.

Gamboa and his two trainers, Pedro Roque and Carlos Gamboa, are optimistic regarding the upcoming fight against Beltrán, Jr. This will be a great opportunity to see if the Cuban’s winds are still in full force or if this cyclone is about to peter out. We will see.

Translated by E.G. for J.J. Alvarez of Boxeo.tv

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

Emanuel-Navarrete-Survives-a-Bloody-Battle-with-Charly-Suarez-in-San-Diego

In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Published

15 hours ago

May 10, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Late-Bloomer-Anthony-Cacace-TKOs-Hometown-Favorite-Leigh-Wood-in-Nottingham

Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Published

2 days ago

May 9, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Years ago, I worked at a newsstand in the Beverly Hills area. It was a 24-hour a day version and the people that dropped by were very colorful and unique.

One elderly woman Eva, who bordered on homeless but pridefully wore lipstick, would stop by the newsstand weekly to purchase a pack of menthol cigarettes. On one occasion, she asked if I had ever been to San Diego?

I answered “yes, many times.”

She countered “you need to watch out for San Diego Smoke.”

This Saturday, Top Rank brings its brand of prizefighting to San Diego or what could be called San Diego Smoke. Leading the fight card is Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) defending the WBO super feather title against undefeated Filipino Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) at Pechanga Arena. ESPN will televise.

This is Navarrete’s fourth defense of the super feather title.

The last time Navarrete stepped in the boxing ring he needed six rounds to dismantle the very capable Oscar Valdez in their rematch. One thing about Mexico City’s Navarrete is he always brings “the smoke.”

Also, on the same card is Fontana, California’s Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) vying for the interim IBF lightweight title against Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) on the co-main event.

Abdullaev has only fought once before in the USA and was handily defeated by Devin Haney back in 2019. But that was six years ago and since then he has knocked off various contenders.

Muratalla is a slick fighting lightweight who trains at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy now in Moreno Valley, Calif. It’s a virtual boot camp with many of the top fighters on the West Coast available to spar on a daily basis. If you need someone bigger or smaller, stronger or faster someone can match those needs.

When you have that kind of preparation available, it’s tough to beat. Still, you have to fight the fight. You never know what can happen inside the prize ring.

Another fighter to watch is Perla Bazaldua, 19, a young and very talented female fighter out of the Los Angeles area. She is trained by Manny Robles who is building a small army of top female fighters.

Bazaldua (1-0, 1 KO) meets Mona Ward (0-1) in a super flyweight match on the preliminary portion of the Top Rank card. Top Rank does not sign many female fighters so you know that they believe in her talent.

Others on the Top Rank card in San Diego include Giovani Santillan, Andres Cortes, Albert Gonzalez, Sebastian Gonzalez and others.

They all will bring a lot of smoke to San Diego.

Probox TV

A strong card led by Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) facing Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) in a super welterweight clash between southpaws takes place on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. PROBOX TV will stream the fight card.

Ardreal has rocketed up the standings and now faces veteran Lubin whose only losses came against world titlists Sebastian Fundora and Jermell Charlo. It’s a great match to decide who deserves a world title fight next.

Another juicy match pits Argentina’s Nazarena Romero (14-0-2) against Mexico’s Mayelli Flores (12-1-1) in a female super bantamweight contest.

Nottingham, England

Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) defends the IBO super featherweight title against Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) in Wood’s hometown on Saturday at Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, England. DAZN will stream the Queensberry Promotions card.

Ireland’s Cacace seems to have the odds against him. But he is no stranger to dancing in the enemy’s lair or on foreign territory. He formerly defeated Josh Warrington in London and Joe Cordina in Riyadh in IBO title defenses.

Lampley at Wild Card

Boxing telecaster Jim Lampley will be signing his new book It Happened! at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Saturday, May 10, beginning at 2 p.m. Lampley has been a large part of many of the greatest boxing events in the past 40 years. He and Freddie Roach will be at the signing.

Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)

Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Anthony Cacace (23-1) vs Leigh Wood (28-3).

Sat. PROBOX.tv 3 p.m. Erickson Lubin (26-2) vs Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1) vs Charly Suarez (18-0); Raymond Muratalla (22-0) vs Zaur Abdullaev (20-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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