Gamboa: ‘I’ve fought guys that were bigger and stronger than Tank Davis’

By Boxing News - 12/27/2019 - Comments

By Aragon Garcia: Yuriorkis Gamboa isn’t impressed with all the early knockouts that Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis has accumulated during his six-year professional career, as he believes he’s faced bigger, more powerful and with more experience.

(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME)

Gamboa (30-2, 18 KOs) and former IBF/WBA super featherweight champion Tank Davis will be fighting for the vacant WBA 130-lb belt this Saturday at the State Farm Arena, in Atlanta.

The former IBF/WBA featherweight champion Gamboa definitely has faced guys with more height, experience and power than Davis (22-0, 21 KOs). Gamboa fought Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford in 2014, and gave him all he could handle before losing a 9th round knockout in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

This just a small sample of the experienced fighters Gamboa has faced during his 12-year professional career:

  • Roman Martinez
  • Terence Crawford
  • Rene Alvarado
  • Jason Sosa
  • Robinson Castellanos
  • Michael Farenas
  • Daniel Ponce De Leon
  • Orlando Salido
  • Jorge Solis
  • Jonathan Victor Barros
  • Rogers Mtagwa
  • Adailton De Jesus
  • Johnnie Edwards

Gamboa: Davis isn’t bringing anything I haven’t seen

“I’m still in shape, and I’m still at a certain level. Not only can I fight with these guys, I can beat these guys,” said Gamboa to secondsout. “I can say that focus and discipline has led me to get to the position I’m at today. So that’s something I’ve relied on throughout my career, and I keep relying on it, and it hasn’t failed.

“The fact that he’s knocked out all his opponents before the 9th round, that’s great for him, but it really doesn’t say anything about my record is concerned,” said Gamboa about not being impressed with Davis’ many stoppage wins.

“I’ve fought guys that were bigger, stronger, and had a lot more experience than he has,” said Gamboa. “I’ve been able to beat those guys. So, he’s not bringing anything I haven’t seen, and so I’m not concerned about is sticking to the game plan I’m bringing into the fight,” Gamboa continued.

Davis might hit harder than some of the fighters Gamboa has fought, but not all of them. He clearly doesn’t have the experience that many of Gamboa’s opponents had when he fought them. For example, Orlando Salido, Roman Martinez and Daniel Ponce De Leon had massive experience when Gamboa fought them.

Yuriorkis plans on using his experience advantage to beat Davis

“I’m relying on my skills and talent and abilities in order to come away with the win,” said Gamboa. “I have a fluid game plan. It’s not like I have one game plan that I’m set on. You’ve got to see how he comes, and depending on how he comes, that’s how I have to adapt to different game plans that we have in play.

“That’s why I say it’s fluid. Sticking to a fluid game plan is the one that’s going to help me win that fight,” said Gamboa. “Obviously, experience is one of the attributes that I’m going to rely upon, because not everybody has a long track record that I have in terms of the big fights, and going into the deeper rounds.

“That’s obviously something I can pull from in order to get an edge in this fight,” said Gamboa about his experience. “I’m not one to judge anyone. What I say and what I respond in interviews is true. After the fight, I’ve got to do a medical test that I’m required to do.

“I’ve got to go do a couple of other tidbits to take care of business. We do this for a living. By the time I did all this, his fight was over. I wasn’t being cocky,” said Gamboa.

It’s important that Gamboa rely on his experience to beat Davis, because he can’t fight down to his level. Gamboa brings up a good point about he won’t use one game plan for this fight, as he’s going to switch things up.

Whatever doesn’t work, Gamboa will cast it to the side, and switch to another game plan that may prove to be more effective.

What Gamboa can’t afford to do is stand in the pocket, and trade with Davis for three minutes of every round. Nonetheless, Gamboa will need to punch with Davis at times, but he can’t do that the entire fight.

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