Chris John wants to fight Gamboa and Lopez
January 25th, 2010
By Jason Kim: If featherweights Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez want an opponent for their next fight, they have to look no further than unbeaten World Boxing Association featherweight champion Chris John (43-0-2, 22 KO’s).
In an article with theJartaglobe, John, 30, had this to say about the prospects of fighting Gamboa or Lopez:
John should have no problems getting a match against either or both Gamboa and Lopez. Their promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank says that he wants those two to clear out the featherweight division before matching them up against each other. John, being the WBA featherweight champion, is one of the fighters that are standing in the way of Gamboa and Lopez from reaching their future mega fight. John is a good fighter, but he’s still not all that well known in the U.S. despite having fought there twice in 2009 against Rocky Juarez. Both fighters were close with the first bout ending in a 12 round draw and the second fight having John win a 12 round decision.
Lopez (28-0, 25 KO’s) stopped WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano in the 7th round last Saturday night at Madison’s Square Garden. Lopez dominated all seven rounds and dropped Luevano to the canvas with a hard left hand after hurting him initially with a big right uppercut moments earlier.
Lopez looked sensational all the way through the one-sided fight and made up for his unimpressive performance against Rogers Mtagwa three months earlier in October. On the same card, World Boxing Association featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0, 15 KO’s) destroyed Mtagwa in two rounds, knocking him down three times in the process of getting the win.
Gamboa looked too powerful and fast for Mtagwa all the way through the fight. With John having one of the titles, he’s someone that Lopez or Gamboa will likely be targeting next. John, a light hitter, would have serious problems with the speedy and powerful Gamboa. John was hurt badly in the 12th round of his last fight against Juarez, and it’s hard to see him being able to make it more than three or four rounds against a powerful puncher like Gamboa.
Lopez would be a better match for John, but only slightly. Lopez punches well himself and has a high work rate. John would be hard pressed to make it out of that fight without being destroyed by Lopez.
Tags: 24 Responses to “Chris John wants to fight Gamboa and Lopez”
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gamboa simply the best in 126 lbs.
Gamboa is better by far, Lopez is nothing to Gamboa. Lopez is dead and he knows it.
Gamboa will loose to John, Gamboa barely his last fight against an unknown bum with 10 losses in his record. He shows skills in the ring against bums. he wouldn’t be able to take a Lopez punch. and John will probably frustrate Gamboa and win by decision.
Anyone that doesn’t recognize gamboa as the best in these fights doesn’t know thier ass from their elbow. Stop commenting and put your bread up. CUBA LIBRE!!
I would say about Gamboa with great respect for the opinion of everyone here He just cleaned out the division by winning Salido as perhaps the most experienced fighter in this weight division, Who won mtagua by KO, which Lopez could not do and if you look at the fighters Juan Manuel Lopez has faced
how many of them have impressive boxing skills?.Im not sure if lopez win against rafael marquez.Gamboa will not lose to anyone as long as he keep the athleticism and boxing skills which are beyond the understanding of many.
Gamboa have the best boxing skills in that division today, maybe not too smart but his boxing skills will save him because he does what he have to do when in trouble just by reflex.
Most exciting fighter to watch in that division with bigger repertory and agression = YURIORKIS GAMBOA, period.
lopez do not want 2 fight gamboa.Belive that,,,i realy dont see any body taking down gamboa…come on! last lopez fight he was close to lose…so el boricua mejor cambia de oponente,,no puede con gamboa,,, el cubano es mejor que lopez en ….tecnica, power,velocidad ……no solo eso cuantas medallas olympicas tiene lopez000 zero nada..
Gamboa would KO John Later rounds.
John would wina UD Verses Lopez.Gamboa would KO The two of them in the same week.
Gamboa will clean out his division. He’s like a combination of Pacquiao and Tyson. He’s one boxer I’d be following when pacquiao retires. Too bad he’s too short to get up to welterweight at most. Who ever said he’s got mo defense, you need to watch him more…this guy’s good.
Some of you guys are having a laugh gamboa has struggled on many occasions already the guys wild with no defence and if he comes up again juan lopez forget it lopez will clean this division up best fighter ive seen in last few years watch and learn this guy will blow both gamboa and chris john apart ….
John is smarter than juan or gamboa, he will win in 12 rounds fight
I DISAGREE.Chris will take both,to championship rounds,where they both lack stamina.Gamboa and lopez ko if they dont wear down.If they survive it could go any way on a drop of a dime.Havent you learend any thing from older fighters.they come with their A game.one in particular Bernard hopkins.
I AGREE WITH DON KING AND TWICE ON SUNDAY.
Gamboa speed,power and cordination will KILL anyone at 126 lbs. juanma and john are too slooow pleople. SPEED KILL.
I really want to see that figth against Gamboa and Chris. Gamboa is going to brake his will in the first round that way he can go all the way to the top where he belong.
THESE IS FOR RICHARD:
Darling Jimenez 23W-2L-2D-14 KO, Gamboa at the time 9W-8KO.
Marcos Ramirez 25W-0L-0D-15 KO Gamboa at the time 11F-9 by the way of KO.
AL SEEGUE 27-3 21 by KO GAMBOA at the time 10W-8 by KO “KO OF THE YEAR BY GAMBOA”
ROJAS 25-6-1, 17 KO’s GAMBOA kill him as well.
Richard you have no idea what Yuriorkis is capable of doing to his opponent. it is true that he is being drop 3 times but he is not superman if you open your guard that what happens to you. But everybody says he chin is not proven yet well I would like to say different. He is being hit 3 times really hard and has being recuperated whinthin seconds and have KO his opponent. Against darling Jimenes he was Knock down in the second but he came after Jimenez and Made him ground beef.
Now the question has he really fougth no body or he has?
I’d like to see that, Gamboa would do him, and i think lopez could knick it, John hasnt impressed me much at all.
i’ll never underestimate chris john after seeing him beat marquez and get absolutely robbed against juarez.
@Richard
I agree he hasn’t fought anyone serious yet BUT… he has only had 17 fights! Go look at almost any fighters record and you tell me if you see any big names in their first 15 fights or so? Maybe he is a bit hyped yet i can’t help but see the talent he has. Lets see where he goes from here. Keep in mind also that Gamboa looked much better this time around, keeping his hands higher which i felt was a problem before.
I dont know why ppl so overrate Gamboa. He fought only bum! see his record on boxrec, you cannot see any big name on his record. JML is much pretty hard opponent for John. I have heard from local newspaper, before he fought juarez for the 1st time John is willing and would like to fight gamboa, but there is no offering from arum. John counterpuncher and good skill has a style to beat Gamboa. We will see
Jon will outclass them easy
Chris was almost Knock out by rocky juarez in his last fight he didnt look good at all just running kinda like mayweather…
judges/refs wont matter cuz he will get knocked the fack out!
hope to see John fight one of those guys and be treated fairly by the judges/ref.
gamboa or lopez would destroy chris john anyday.