By Ronnie Jordan: Like most boxing fans I’m always on the lookout for the next big talent, the new Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson or Chris Arreola. Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0, 15 KO’s), the young fighter from Cuba. I think Gamboa has the potential to become the new pound for pound king. He’s due to fight on March the 27th against unbeaten Argentinean prospect Jonathan Victor Barros.
Gamboa has shot up the world rankings with some brilliant display knocking out 15 of his 17 opponents. He’s very fast, hard hitting and has skill in abundance. Gamboa throws his combinations like Manny Pacquiao but with the knock out power of someone like Marcos Maidana. Pacquiao’s superior head movement and foot work gives him the slight edge, but there’s still time for Gamboa to improve.
My question is how far can Gamboa move up in weight? He’s quite short at 5’5 1/2″ and looks well built already at feather weight. For him to move up three or four weights, he’d have to be carrying some serious bulk. Not all fighters can do what Pacquiao has done. For Gamboa to realize his enormous potential he has to be fighting the best guys out there, but after the match ups with Juan Manual Lopez and possibly Chris John, there isn’t much else at that weight.
There’s some good match ups at super featherweight, but it’s not until you get into lightweight and light welterweight that you get huge names like Edwin Valero, Timothy Bradley and Amir Khan. The mouth watering prospect of Gamboa vs. Pacquiao doesn’t seem to be a possibility with Pacquiao close to retirement. But the three fighters listed would be great fights for fans and excellent names on your resume.
The trouble for most fighters moving up in weight is keeping all of your speed, power, stamina and agility. If you’re not fighting at your natural weight you tend to lose something. Gamboa may find he’s unable to blow fighters away like he has done and will have to adapt his style like Mayweather has done so successfully.
So Gamboa’s success is not a foregone conclusion, but I for one hope he can indeed challenge for titles at numerous weights. Gamboa has great talent along with an exciting style and with Pacquiao and Mayweather no more than one or two more fights away from retirement boxing is badly in need of box office stars.
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