Comments Thread For: Arum Explains The Difference in Builing Gamboa's Base

[CubanGuyNYC]

Hot dang! I swear I love this freakin' Gamboa kid!!!!!!!!!!!
Arriba los Latinos!!!!!!!

Oh, yessss.... This is the kind of attitude I love to see!

Green K, my brother.

[CubanGuyNYC]

I think he means marketing Cubans as a whole, it’s easy for Arum to market Mexicans and Puerto Ricans because they have dominated the boxing market for decades especially when they are poised to fight each other.

Cubans in stark contrast (though they have a magnificent amateur program back in Cuba) seemed to be only marketable in Miami. Its 40 + years since communism, there has been thousands of Cuban defecators many that were included were athletes (boxers too) and yet there hasn’t been many boxing stars to come out of that bunch since. So aside from the whole 72 % being white comment there is some merit to what he’s saying.

It's been almost 53 years since Castro took power in Cuba on January 1, 1959. Before (and around) then, Cubans were comparatively successful at professional boxing with Puerto Ricans and Mexicans.

Sixto Escobar was the first P. R. world champion; he won the bantamweight championship in 1936. It would be another 23 years before the great Carlos Ortiz won another crown for the Boricuas. Alberto "Baby" Arizmendi was the first Mexican champ, winning the featherweight crown in 1935. Eligio Sardiñas, better known as "Kid Chocolate", became the first Cuban world champ in 1931. Twenty years later, Gerardo González, aka "Kid Gavilan", won another crown for the Cubans.

In the early sixties, great Cuban champions like Ultiminio "Sugar" Ramos, José "Mantequilla" Nápoles and the ill-fated Benny "Kid" Paret were forced to leave the island in pursuit of pro careers. (Castro had outlawed professional sports.) After that, the stock of Cuban pro boxers dried up. Athletes couldn't leave the island. (The history of Cuban baseball players reads much the same way.)

I don't know exactly how many Cuban athletes have defected since the communists seized control of the island, but it has definitely not been "thousands." The number would be closer to "dozens". Boxers have been only a few of that very small number. Joel Casamayor was one of the earliest defectors, skipping out at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He won a WBA strap three years later.

Only in the last few years have Cuban athletes really started to trickle out of the island. A few have made it to the United States. Others have fled to Europe, where promising fighters like Ismaikel "Mike" Pérez and Yoan Pablo Hernandez are campaigning.

My opinion is that Cubans will eventually take their rightful place alongside the Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and (now) the eastern Europeans as boxing powers. Their success will be proportionate to the number of fighters that make it out of the island, and the number of Cuban-Americans that are naturally inspired by the notoriety that their brethren claim...no more, no less.

[BattleAxePurist]

Market Gamboa as the exciting KO artist fighter that he is if arum gave any real interest in promoting him he'd be better known a fight on one of his PPVs in an undercard fight to get fan interest

He did the same with Marg didn't care putting him in with mandatories then all of a sudden the WW division has some big names and he tries to make him viable

He had his chance with Juanma and didn't want to risk his prized PR up to the Cyclone and know it seems like he feels ok I guess i'll go ahead and give you a chance

There's always going to be the national aspect but Gamboa really can transcend that if focused on making the right fights and giving the boxing public what they want which is the best fighting the best he'll attract fans

[CubanGuyNYC]

Market Gamboa as the exciting KO artist fighter that he is if arum gave any real interest in promoting him he'd be better known a fight on one of his PPVs in an undercard fight to get fan interest

He did the same with Marg didn't care putting him in with mandatories then all of a sudden the WW division has some big names and he tries to make him viable

He had his chance with Juanma and didn't want to risk his prized PR up to the Cyclone and know it seems like he feels ok I guess i'll go ahead and give you a chance

There's always going to be the national aspect but Gamboa really can transcend that if focused on making the right fights and giving the boxing public what they want which is the best fighting the best he'll attract fans

Good post.

If I may reference my previous comments: In the fifties, "Kid Gavilan" was a big star on T.V. This despite being a black Cuban in an era of racial discrimination. Why? Because the "Keed" was a tough, flashy SOB whose exciting brand of fighting transcended national and racial barriers. As you point out, a fighter that produces as much electricity as Gamboa can be marketed on his fighting appeal alone.