Yuriorkis Gamboa added to list of possible Pacquiao opponents

By Boxing News - 01/13/2014 - Comments

gamboa434By Chris Williams: Former IBF/WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (23-0, 16 KO’s) has been added to the list of potential opponents for Manny Pacquiao’s next fight on April 12th, according to the Manila Standard. This is a further sign that things are not going well with the negotiations between Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley.

That’s the guy that Pacquiao reportedly wants to fight, but Bradley is said to be asking for $8 million for the fight, and is more than what they’re interested in paying him. He got $5 million last time he fought Pacquiao in June of 2012, but the fight didn’t bring in good pay-per-view numbers. On top of that, Pacquiao’s last fight against Brandon Rios brought in just 475,000 PPV buys.

The 32-year-old Gamboa offers a cheaper alternative to Bradley, but with potentially much more of an interesting fight. Gamboa is a lot quicker than Bradley, he’s more power, and a far better defensive fighter. The weakness in Gamboa’s game is his chin, and that would make for an exciting fight with Pacquiao trying to land one big punch to try and get Gamboa out of there.

Gamboa had problems beating Michael Farenas in their fight in December 2012. Although Gamboa won the fight by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision score, he was knocked down and badly hurt by Farenas.

In Gamboa’s last fight in June of last year, he beat Darleys Perez by a 12 round unanimous decision to win the interim WBA lightweight title.

If Pacquiao fights Gamboa, he would be opening himself up to criticism about him fighting his second straight lightweight. Rios was a former WBA lightweight champion until eating himself out of the division in 2012. But Gamboa is still fighting in the lightweight division. However, he’s got the ability to put on weight and fight in other weight classes for the right opponent. Pacquiao would definitely be the right opponent.

Gamboa would be the one guy where Pacquiao wouldn’t be the faster guy, and it could be very interesting as long as this fight lasts. I could see Gamboa out-boxing Pacquiao and making him look bad. The only way Gamboa loses this fight is if he gets knocked out.



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