What the f**k happened to Gamboa?

[Dr Rumack]

Moved to an inexperienced promoter. That should have been a negotiating strategy to squeeze Bob, not an actual career strategy. He probably would have lit up Rios in a great fight and put himself in line for something bigger.

Even if he had stuck it out with Bob for another year he could have jumped on the Haymon gravy train once that got going. He played himself big time.

[Loque-san]

Moved to an inexperienced promoter. That should have been a negotiating strategy to squeeze Bob, not an actual career strategy. He probably would have lit up Rios in a great fight and put himself in line for something bigger.

Even if he had stuck it out with Bob for another year he could have jumped on the Haymon gravy train once that got going. He played himself big time.

No way man. Gamboa was a featherweight, Rios a light welterweight. This fight never made any sense to me. It was just Top Rank trying to feed a fighter to another one.

They wanted to make this fight to boost Rios' career. He was seen as the more marketable fighter for various reasons: entertaining face-first brawler, mexican / mexican-american fanbase, fighting in higher and more appealing weight-classes, potential Pacquiao opponent, etc.

Gamboa did fcuk up, not because he backed out of the fight despite having signed the contract, but because he signed the contract in the first place.

[*TonyMontana*]

Mayweather had him blackballed from the boxing industry when he broke up with 50pence

[Dr Rumack]

No way man. Gamboa was a featherweight, Rios a light welterweight. This fight never made any sense to me. It was just Top Rank trying to feed a fighter to another one.

They wanted to make this fight to boost Rios' career. He was seen as the more marketable fighter for various reasons: entertaining face-first brawler, mexican / mexican-american fanbase, fighting in higher and more appealing weight-classes, potential Pacquiao opponent, etc.

Gamboa did fcuk up, not because he backed out of the fight despite having signed the contract, but because he signed the contract in the first place.

I had almost forgotten that Pacquiao fought Rios.

I see your point but I'd have given Gamboa a real shot. He had a huge handspeed advantage and a very mobile style. His is/was reckless but his boxing IQ was still light years ahead of Rios.

Gamboa was a strong featherweight and was juicing back then too. If he hit hard enough to wobble a big lightweight like Crawford then I think he hit hard enough to get respect from Rios.

Yeah it's possible he gets walked down, but it's also possible that the fight looks more like Pacquiao-Diaz. Not as dramatic a beatdown obviously, because Gamboa didn't have Pac's skill level and was smaller, but I could definitely see parts of the fight looking like that. With Rios lumbering around the ring trying to pin Gamboa down.

We'll never know now but either way that decision was the turning point in his career.

[gmc_rfc_06]

The biggest waste of talent I can remember.

Bad promotional decisions, inactivity, fighting in the wrong weight class, not working with an actual trainer...it has been one screw up after another.

His talent level was extraordinary and its extremely disappointing that it was never fully displayed. Despite all of those problems he was boxing Crawford's ears off for the first 4 rounds and then did what he has done so often; got bored and turned it into a fire fight, which was ridiculous against a man who is naturally 3 weight classes bigger than him.

[RomanReigns]

The biggest waste of talent I can remember.

Bad promotional decisions, inactivity, fighting in the wrong weight class, not working with an actual trainer...it has been one screw up after another.

His talent level was extraordinary and its extremely disappointing that it was never fully displayed. Despite all of those problems he was boxing Crawford's ears off for the first 4 rounds and then did what he has done so often; got bored and turned it into a fire fight, which was ridiculous against a man who is naturally 3 weight classes bigger than him.

True. He had solid resume in the lower weight classes. He could have been the first boxer to beat Juan Manuel Lopez instead of salido.

[GMAN SUPREME]

he left Top Rank and joined a minor league promotional company is what happened.

[boxinggod101]

Seriously!! Used to be one of my favorite but started to get a bit boring than signed with 50 cent.... Than signs to fight a guy wayyyyy too big for him. Should have took the Rios fight instead. He made some very poor decision and now look at him...

Gamboa used to be so fun to watch

[baya]

he was born a cuban.

[gee73]

There are a lot of weird decisions when it comes to Gamboa. Opened his own promotional company without having any clue. Wanted his manager let him go to 50 Cent. Three months later 50 Cent's manager wanted to give him back to his old manager for half the price. He didn't train for long timeframes, that's why he fought at 135. Someone told me he barely trained two weeks for a 12 round fight. Signing with 50 Cent as a promoter was a desaster. 50 had potential, but you have to work for a promotion to make it work.