..YURIORKIS GAMBOA: Is It Too Damn Late?...

[LEFTYGUNZZ]

I gotta be honest, I like the kid. He's an exciting fighter, drips confidence and has a way of seeming like he REALLY would fight the best at any moment.

The problem with this is that if he did that at this particular moment, or any moment for that matter, but fought like his last couple of outings, he'd have an even weirder looking face.

The plus side is obvious.

- Quick, of hand, foot and movement (most of the times).
- Pressure fighter with slicker than average moves and loves to press the action.
- Always looks for the knockout.
- Supremely confident.
- Marketable with his gold metal and easy transition to the pro ranks.
- Fights often, so he HAS room to improve, gain more fans, get more rounds and just sharpen up, overall.
- Beautiful combinations when he's in rhythm.
- Doesn't seem to have stamina problems.

Now.. the negatives.

- Has a tendancy to rely to heavily on his power.
- Doesn't have the strongest chin, even though he seems to recooperate rather quickly and come back to try and hurt the guy as quickly as possible.
- Abandons his boxing skills.
- Fights as if he'd be shocked by the sheer mention of him using a jab.
- Doesn't seem to be getting enough rounds on the books.
- Has a piss poor defense when he goes in for the kill.
- His trainer doesn't seem to notice any of this enough to want to truly enforce a change. (I realize a fighter has to be willing, but damn.)

So, the question remains. Is it too late for THIS guy to relearn some things, sharpen up on others, stick with the positives that don't come with a negative and forget some of the bad all together? Or does HE have a chance to turn it around and dramatically better his chances of success at the top of his chosen division?

Vote. Discuss.

Dude he reminds me of a young PACMAN. Pac didn't ave great D or use his jab. He often left himself out of position and had poor D especially when going for the kill. But DAMN he was an is very exciting to watch. i often heard Manny Steward say how much Pac had to improve on his boxing skills and how he leaves himself out of position when he throws combinations. More of recent time I have heard Stew comment on how Manny has improved in recent fights and learned to pick off punches with his glove and counter. He also doesn't leave himself out of position as much. Stew has said that in last two fights with Diaz and DLH. So yes I think Gamboa can improve that if he gets the correct trainer. I would give up hope just yet fans....Lefty

[THE REED]

Also possible. Some fighters kind of 'fight down' to the level of the opponent. It remains to be seen if he will step up as he steps up, but he's gotta be a pretty smart fighter, in one sense. When he won the gold medal, clearly he had a different style then he does now, since it's a different scoring style. Technically, that could be a sign that he adapts to how he SHOULD fight.

it was the same thing when roy would first start a fight in his prime... in the beginning rounds he held his hands up "in his own style" until he figured out what the fighter was gonna do... once he got used to the opponents limitations... he started to do whatever he felt like he wanted too... and it seems thats what Gamboa does...

[THe TRiNiTY]

Dude he reminds me of a young PACMAN. Pac didn't ave great D or use his jab. He often left himself out of position and had poor D especially when going for the kill. But DAMN he was an is very exciting to watch. i often heard Manny Steward say how much Pac had to improve on his boxing skills and how he leaves himself out of position when he throws combinations. More of recent time I have heard Stew comment on how Manny has improved in recent fights and learned to pick off punches with his glove and counter. He also doesn't leave himself out of position as much. Stew has said that in last two fights with Diaz and DLH. So yes I think Gamboa can improve that if he gets the correct trainer. I would give up hope just yet fans....Lefty

Manny Pacquiao is a special athlete. He evolves with virtually every fight. Even in a relatively boring fight, by his standards, against Barrera in the second fight, he evolved. He showed patience. Nonetheless, I have to question if any athlete can be as special as Manny.

Gamboa has a chance, he just needs to keep his ****ing hands up.

[THe TRiNiTY]

it was the same thing when roy would first start a fight in his prime... in the beginning rounds he held his hands up "in his own style" until he figured out what the fighter was gonna do... once he got used to the opponents limitations... he started to do whatever he felt like he wanted too... and it seems thats what Gamboa does...

Yeah, he just lunges a bit more and it has cost him a point in the passed. One thing I like, even when you could tell he was down from the elbow shots, he didn't complain. Just got mad and started fighting.

BTW, those Horus quotes are ****ing hilarious, just for all the wrong reasons.

[Reggie Miller]

It's not his chin,it's his lunging in style,reckless defence.His chin has nothing to do with it.

Did you even watched his last fight? he got touched by a weak right hand and went down!

imagine what edwin valero or jorge linares (if he goes back to 126) would do to gamboa.

[catalinul]

Did you even watched his last fight? he got touched by a weak right hand and went down!

imagine what edwin valero or jorge linares (if he goes back to 126) would do to gamboa.

Balance shot,he was lunging in,had nothing to do with his chin.He has a reckless defence.

[AKATheMack]

Did you even watched his last fight? he got touched by a weak right hand and went down!

imagine what edwin valero or jorge linares (if he goes back to 126) would do to gamboa.

He wasnt hurt from the right hand he was off balance there is a big difference between having a weak chin and poor balance.

[catalinul]

He wasnt hurt from the right hand he was off balance there is a big difference between having a weak chin and poor balance.

Exactly right.

[THE REED]

Did you even watched his last fight? he got touched by a weak right hand and went down!

imagine what edwin valero or jorge linares (if he goes back to 126) would do to gamboa.

if u actually watch it... he was off balance when he got hit... thats why he went down for half a second and popped back up... he wasnt even dazed or stunned he acted like nothing even happened

[LEFTYGUNZZ]

Did you even watched his last fight? he got touched by a weak right hand and went down!

imagine what edwin valero or jorge linares (if he goes back to 126) would do to gamboa.

I saw the fight n ESPN2 and had to endure the back and forth of Teddy Atlas and B Hop during the broad cast. YEs he got put down but he was not hurt at all. he didnt hold when he got up. He was coming in and left himself wide open. The opponent timed him perfectly and put him down. I may ad the fighter was unable to time him again although he tried valantly he was no match for Gamboa. Gamboa got the TKO and the rounds he needs to get more work to get better....Lefty