Comments Thread For: Merchant Likes The Idea of Gamboa vs Rigondeaux Clash

[Sifo]

no the cubans shouldnt take each other out there are to few of them as it is.

[frosty-g]

They fought already in cuba 3 times and rigo won all 3 fights ! I was just in cuba november 6th last year i spoke to alot of cubans out there about both fighters and all of them say rigo beat gamboa really bad all 3 times . I tell them gamboa is the man out here and all they talk about is rigo .

that's funny, i was there in june and people i know were all far more excited about copying the gamboa videos that i had than the rigondeaux ones, although they respected and liked both guys a lot. i also heard a few times that lara is the best boxer out of the lot, as a boxer that is, not necessarily as a fighter.
they do get to see all these guys on hbo and what have you- they get all that for like next to nothing off cheeky satelite hook ups.

[KnockUTheFukOut]

??? who gives a *** what Merchant Likes

Donaire now in Rigondeaux division...NOT Gamboa!

[frosty-g]

I think there are several reasons for this. One might very well be the color of their skin. Another reason is that many Cuban-Americans have this old, misguided idea that guys like Rigo and Gamboa somehow represent the communist government in Cuba. They're stuck on this notion that supporting them is akin to supporting Castro. Lastly, I think that the realization that Cubans are making noise in pro boxing is coming slowly. It's been decades since this last happened and the Cuban community lost interest. It's going to take some time for them to come around. Watch what happens if Gamboa becomes a real P4P star. There's a lot of money in the Cuban-American community; therefore, there's a lot of potential support.

yeah you're right there, it is pretty complex and i think each of the different factors plays a role. i notice on the interviews i've seen on youtube, any cuban boxer who has just left is heavily pressured to criticise the cuban system, i know they probably have their own criticisms, but the interviewers really try to put words into their mouths and it's almost like they have to do it. then most of them say that it was the cuban school of boxing that made them what they are today... which is largely true but the connotations of that do not sit well with a lot of the miami cubans. pretty much everything in cuba has a socialist element to it and the boxing system certainly does, right from its roots with the solidarity gestures from the soviets. and that's in large part why the system is so effective and accounts for much of its mystique, but the general miami cuban population stands in political opposition to all this. i think those interviews are a bit like a trial to see the political make up of these guys. tough situation.

this is well worth a nosey at if you haven't seen it on youtube yet:
Hero Traitor Madness: The Guillermo Rigondeaux Story
the director needs a bit more funding before he can finish it but it's going well and will be a great film

[frosty-g]

??? who gives a *** what Merchant Likes

Donaire now in Rigondeaux division...NOT Gamboa!

exactly what donaire is thinking! QUACK! ha ha

[PACnPBFsuck]

I have zero desire to see Rigo and Gamboa fight...ever. Luckily, I don't think there's much danger in that clash ever happening. Yuri will soon be fighting at 135, and Guillermo might never work above 130.

I second that ZERO

[CubanGuyNYC]

that's funny, i was there in june and people i know were all far more excited about copying the gamboa videos that i had than the rigondeaux ones, although they respected and liked both guys a lot. i also heard a few times that lara is the best boxer out of the lot, as a boxer that is, not necessarily as a fighter.
they do get to see all these guys on hbo and what have you- they get all that for like next to nothing off cheeky satelite hook ups.

A lot of people seem to think so. Honestly, I just don't see it. I place Erislandy third, behind Rigo and Gamboa. I think Guillermo is the most talented of the three, but I like Yuri best. It's too bad that Solis's career is on hold. He's a very skilled heavyweight. Unfortunately, even if Odlanier hadn't had that knee injury, he seems too undisciplined to live up to his potential.

[CubanGuyNYC]

yeah you're right there, it is pretty complex and i think each of the different factors plays a role. i notice on the interviews i've seen on youtube, any cuban boxer who has just left is heavily pressured to criticise the cuban system, i know they probably have their own criticisms, but the interviewers really try to put words into their mouths and it's almost like they have to do it. then most of them say that it was the cuban school of boxing that made them what they are today... which is largely true but the connotations of that do not sit well with a lot of the miami cubans. pretty much everything in cuba has a socialist element to it and the boxing system certainly does, right from its roots with the solidarity gestures from the soviets. and that's in large part why the system is so effective and accounts for much of its mystique, but the general miami cuban population stands in political opposition to all this. i think those interviews are a bit like a trial to see the political make up of these guys. tough situation.

this is well worth a nosey at if you haven't seen it on youtube yet:
Hero Traitor Madness: The Guillermo Rigondeaux Story
the director needs a bit more funding before he can finish it but it's going well and will be a great film

I agree. Cubans have always been very politically inclined, and many Cuban-Americans are downright rabid when it comes to anything even remotely associated with Castro. Many just can't separate the individual/athlete from the system. It's just crazy! These defectors from Cuba are obviously opposed to the communist government, otherwise they probably wouldn't have risked everything to escape. Some of these people act as if these guys had a choice as to where they were born! lol Cuban-Americans must learn to let go before they can finally embrace....

[frosty-g]

A lot of people seem to think so. Honestly, I just don't see it. I place Erislandy third, behind Rigo and Gamboa. I think Guillermo is the most talented of the three, but I like Yuri best. It's too bad that Solis's career is on hold. He's a very skilled heavyweight. Unfortunately, even if Odlanier hadn't had that knee injury, he seems too undisciplined to live up to his potential.

i'd agree with all that!
lara is the most classic boxer of the three, especially watching some of his amateur bouts. very rounded set of techniques and tactics which the cubans prize, as well as a bit of the cuban style of course.

i like solis a lot, and really really want him to sort himself out and get to where he should be. i'd actually like to see him against david haye (again!). i reckon it would be interesting but that the class of solis would embarass haye really.

wish he was like this now (youtube), really is boxing a lo cubano:
Odlanier Solis | Sultan Ibragimov I (a) 1/1

[damit305]

Donaire knows very well Gamboa's not gonna hang around 126 all year waiting for him. Donaire's theory of 'a boring calculating' Rigondeaux and preference to fight Gamboa is contradicting.

Gamboa is a phenom but his performances vs for instance: PDL, Salido, and Barros weren't edge of you seat thrillers, and probably more enjoyable to a boxing purist.