By Rick Reeno
WBA 'regular' junior middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (19-1-2, 12KOs) is backing his Cuban countryman, Olympic gold medal winner Yuriorkis Gamboa, to unseat WBO lightweight champion Terence Crawford - as long as Gamboa comes well prepared for the fight.
The two lightweights, with identical records of 23-0 and 16 knockouts, will collide in an HBO televised main event on Saturday night from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Gamboa is coming off a one year layoff, while Crawford has been in action twice during that time period.
"I think if Gamboa is well prepared, he will beat Crawford in four or five rounds. The important thing is to come prepared. Cuban fighters have a base. They have a great amateur pedigree. I don't think the layoff will hurt him as long as he comes prepared and ready to fight, [and as long as he does that] I think he wins," Lara stated.
