Yuriorkis Gamboa: "Pacquiao is very combative, but he's nothing special"

[Reggie Miller]

Interview with f i g h t b e a t.com before the darling jimenez fight.


Yuriorkis, tell us a little bit about your Olympic experience in 2004.

Well I remember everything about the Olympics. Remember, to become an Olympic champion isn’t a one-year job. It’s 4 grueling years of training.

It was reported on television that you fought over 400 amateur fights.

Actually I fought 425 fights.

That’s incredible. Who has given you your toughest fight as an amateur or pro?

Well I had two really tough fights. Those fights came when I was in the Olympic Games. I hit them with everything and I just couldn’t hurt them.

You’ve been a pro for little over a year and have fought less than 25 rounds as a pro. You are already ranked #5 in the world. Are you happy with how your career is moving, or do you think everything is happening too fast?


Actually I’m quite pleased with how my career is going. Nothing has happened that wasn’t expected of me. I was the top amateur in the world, and I’ve taken the leap into the pro ranks where I also plan on being the best. Plus, I don’t care how many fights my opponents have, bring ‘em on.

In the USA the people really look at pro fights and maybe overlook their amateur experience. Like for me someone might say that I only have 5 or 6 fights and this guy has 15 or 20 so that’s not a good fight. It’s a bad match-up. But it really doesn’t matter to me.


[full interview]

[Shalafi]

I like Gamboa but he looked too vulnerable on his last fight and has fell out of my list a bit, hopefully with his new trainer he could correct those mistakes and learn to keep his damn hands up (doubt it though).

[ExecutiveOutlaw]

yea 425 fights and people talk like he is a new fighter. i dont think a new trainer would change that much

[Reggie Miller]

yea 425 fights and people talk like he is a new fighter. i dont think a new trainer would change that much

agreed.....

[SkillspayBills]

I got my points on Yuriorkis if the fight is ever made. I bank on that ****.

[Feint]

I think Gamboa has a chance to be special. Maybe the best thing that could have happened to him is when he was knocked down in his last fight because he is seemingly more serious about working on his defense now after hiring a new trainer. I'm very excited to see the results in his next fight.

[Easy-E]

Gamboa is still to green professionally to get in the ring with Pac, he gets hit far too much and Pac hits far too hard.
He just needs to keep his hands up, or at least move his damn head once and a while.

[Gato2012]

Gamboa is still to green professionally to get in the ring with Pac, he gets hit far too much and Pac hits far too hard.
He just needs to keep his hands up, or at least move his damn head once and a while.

move his head once and a while? Have you watched him fight? He slips shots left and right. Hes excellent at that. But he just dont keep his dam hands up so he gets caught sometimes. Its not like the guy takes beatings, he takes a good shot every once in a while thats all. He needs to keep his hands up though.

[Froch You]

"Combative but nothing special" Sounds like Gamboa just kidding he's the goods.

[Don Johnson]

move his head once and a while? Have you watched him fight? He slips shots left and right. Hes excellent at that. But he just dont keep his dam hands up so he gets caught sometimes. Its not like the guy takes beatings, he takes a good shot every once in a while thats all. He needs to keep his hands up though.

He's never really been hit by a puncher like Pac-man who is one of the best combos of speed and power I've seen in a while.