Tag: Atlanta

Yuriorkis Gamboa seems to have an impossible task.

The Cuban immigrant won an Olympic gold medal … but that was 15 years ago. He won two featherweight belts as a pro … but he hasn’t held one in close to nine years. And he’s 37 years old, not an age when fighters generally regain championship form.

That’s why his fight with rising star Gervonta Davis on Dec. 28 in Atlanta seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

Gamboa (30-2, 18 KOs) might have some hope, though. He is the far more experienced fighter of the two, as he points out. And he’s coming off his most impressive performance in years, a second-round knockout of veteran Roman Martinez in which Gamboa unleashed the explosiveness of old.

Of course, there’s a big difference between Martinez and Davis (22-0, 21 KOs). Still, the old warrior seems undaunted.

“This is a fight that can get me back to the very top of the sport,” he said. “… “Obviously I have a huge edge in experience and I think the quality of opponents I’ve faced, versus his opponents, gives me another edge. Plus, the preparation I put into this fight. I really don’t see anyone outworking me. The work that I put into this fight gives me a big advantage.”

Davis is an excellent all-around fighter but is known for his punching power. His knockout percentage tells the story.

Gamboa, who has been fighting longer than Davis has been alive, had a reported 250 amateur fights and has 32 more as a pro. He has seen it all when it comes to opponents, including big punchers. He was stopped in both of his losses, to Terence Crawford in 2014 (TKO 9) and Robinson Castellanos in 2017 (retired after Round 7).

“What power does he have that I haven’t faced?” Gamboa said.

Gamboa moved up two weight classes to face Crawford, which in retrospect seems ill-advised. It’s no wonder the Cuban couldn’t survive. One thing, though: Gamboa hurt Crawford in that fight, which was an indication of his power.

Stacy McKinley, Gamboa’s assistant trainer, believes he has a complete, seasoned fighter. That’s why he’s confident going into this fight.

“We know ‘Tank’ is a big puncher, but experience is going to take its course,” McKinley said. “[Davis has] never been past the sixth round before. And his trainer has never been past the sixth round before. So when you start talking about Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 12, you’re in new territory.

“It’s like Sugar Ray Leonard told Tommy Hearns: ‘I’m going to take you out to deep water, and I’m going to drown you.’ So this is what we expect to do, take him into deep water and drown him.”

McKinley believes people don’t realize how good Gamboa is, even to this day.

“Gamboa is very versatile,” he said. “You’ve got to watch him real close. I’ve watched him real close and I’ve seen him thrown punches that most fighters can’t throw. I see technique and I see the change up in the ring. The last few weeks we’ve changed things up and are using different techniques. He’s a great Cuban fighter.

“He jumped up two weight classes (to fight Terence Crawford). Terence Crawford is a big guy. You’ve got a guy like Terence Crawford who says (Gamboa) can punch, then you have to take his word as gospel. What makes (Gamboa) a good puncher is that he knows how to create his shots. He knows where to hit you and he doesn’t waste punches.”

And one last thing: McKinley wonders whether Davis’ training habits could haunt him

“Tank is a young man,” he said. “Don’t underestimate him. He’s a good fighter and a dangerous fighter. He needs to be a little more disciplined. I saw something on the Internet the other night where he was out on a date. He’s needs to be training and not out on a date.

“He’s saying he’s walking around at 180, 185 pounds. You’re in a fight right there if you’ve got eight weeks to take that weight off. It’s going to play a part against him down the road.”

Could Dec. 28 be “down the road?”