The Tragedy that was Yuri Gamboa vs. Juan Ma Lopez, superfight that never happened

This was one of the possible superfights, Bob Arum really screwed this one up bad. He milked it way to long and Juan Ma lost. This is one of the biggest boxing tragedies of killed superfights that never happened. It was a big fight that was supposed to take place at the Garden, Juan Ma was becoming more beloved than Cotto, he had the smile and freindly personality similar to Tito. Both guys were undefeated, and than Juan Ma lost by knockout. The fight died as Juan Ma continued to lose. This is a fight that baffles me, Arum had both guys in house, what was his thought process of not pairing them up after they both had two great wins? Why did he milk it so long? was he trying to protect one of them if so who was the one? Many said he was protecting Juan Ma. All I know is this was a fight that was denied the privilege of being in the boxing history books, it would have been on of the biggest featherweight fights pitting the two best guys against each other both undefeated in their prime both exciting.

Comments (19)

hectari

People tend to forget Top Rank didn't have 100% of Gamboa. Ahmet Oner out of Germany first signed Gamboa. Top Rank co-promoted with Oner by the time Gamboa got to the US. So if you're Arum you're probably a little hesitant to put your second most popular Puerto Rican fighter after Cotto in there with Gamboa, a guy who was faster and more talented than Lopez. I could see why it didn't happen. Arum had 100% of Lopez, he didn't have 100% of Gamboa and he probably thought Gamboa would win so he figured why take the risk. Good points

11y ago

BoxingLaw

I still want to see it. Love watching those 2 fight! I agree. Although it has lost a significant amount of luster, I would love to see the fight actually happen. I am not a fan of letting fights "marinate". This entire thread is a great argument as to why great fights should be made when they present themselves.

11y ago

IRIE

I still want to see it. Love watching those 2 fight!

11y ago

Kenny_Blankenship

11y ago

EdWins

And if I'm not mistaken, although I probably am, but I think this would have been the first major "superfight" between a Puerto Rican and a Cuban. It would have been an all Caribbean affair, and at the Garden, it would have been amazing, especially when you see how vulnerable both fighters actually are, would have been several KD's and a definite KO.

11y ago

Pesk

Wouldn't mind watching it at 130 if Juanma wins Saturday and Gamboa wins his come back fight. It could regain some of its luster if they look good and be a good co-main event or the undercard of a big fight.

11y ago

bopbopbbe

Juanma got exposed thats all there was to it.

11y ago

SOUTHFLA

Rogers Mtagwa that's what happened

11y ago

CatchAndShoot

bolded for inaccuracy. You've got to be kidding me. Gamboa beat the breaks off Mtagwa, while Lopez was in a war with him. Gamboa routes Barros, meanwhile Juanma did get the TKO over Luevano, but he was getting tagged in that fight. Gamboa routes Salido, while Juanma retires Marquez, but still looks super hittable. Gamboa obliterates Solis, and Juanma loses by TKO to Salido. Super fight talks are done for good. Meanwhile, Gamboa beats De Leon. Anyone that knew anything at the time was calling it a mis match in Gamboa's favor. How is that inaccurate?

11y ago

PACnPBFsuck

JuanMa's team took a tune up that went wrong, that's it.

11y ago

baya

11y ago

Tyler_Durden

I think it would've been more of a tragedy had the opportunity of the fight been missed with both fighters moving on to different things while maintaining undefeated records and never really being challenged by any other fight. But since history proved otherwise and both guys ended up looking less than stellar in some of their individual contest while also getting knocked out it makes it feel like we really didn't miss out on as much as we originally thought.

11y ago

hectari

I get that it would've been big for the fans, but quality wise. Gamboa was dominating top notch opponents, and looking like a million bucks, whereas Juanma was looking not so good at the time. If anything, it was looked at as a mismatch at the time. Dude, thats what Gamboa said, that Top Rank was protecting Juan Ma, but he ditched top rank because they were trying to toss him in with Brandon Rios as sacrificial lamb and rios is a huge guy if you think Crawford was big, Rios is twice his size. But regardless of what you said it was a super fight both were undefeated man, Gamboa would have knocked Juan Ma out, but Arum obviously protected him from Gamboa, wh

11y ago

CatchAndShoot

Yes, and they didn't turn out to be super after the fact, but at the time it was a huge fight. HBO wanted it bad for the Garden and Juan Ma was becoming very popular with the puerto ricans. Sucks that it never happened, it would have been a classic with it ending in a KO without question. That would have been an awesome slug fest and toe to toe battle. I get that it would've been big for the fans, but quality wise. Gamboa was dominating top notch opponents, and looking like a million bucks, whereas Juanma was looking not so good at the time. If anything, it was looked at as a mismatch at the time.

11y ago

hectari

Was it really a super fight if one of the fighters turned out not to be super? Yes, and they didn't turn out to be super after the fact, but at the time it was a huge fight. HBO wanted it bad for the Garden and Juan Ma was becoming very popular with the puerto ricans. Sucks that it never happened, it would have been a classic with it ending in a KO without question. That would have been an awesome slug fest and toe to toe battle.

11y ago

Targaryen

Was it really a super fight if one of the fighters turned out not to be super? Juan Ma's and Gamboa"s inactivity kind of takes some off the gloss of it, but it was pretty highly anticipated at the time.

11y ago

CatchAndShoot

Was it really a super fight if one of the fighters turned out not to be super?

11y ago

hectari

no kidding, when sitting on a fight goes horribly wrong. yeah, why the hell did he sit on that fight so long? only thing I remember him saying is Cubans don't have a fanbase and he would have to build Gamboa up longer, but that was BS, Gamboa left Shaw because top rank told him they would give him the Lopez fight. No wonder Gamboa left, he felt they were throwing him in with a huge guy in Brandon Rios to build Rios, and they protected Juan Ma from him.

11y ago

baya

no kidding, when sitting on a fight goes horribly wrong.

11y ago