By Ryan Dunn: Last night’s Boxing After Dark on HBO was nothing if not unusual. Two betting favorites stepped into the ring and ultimately showed more weaknesses than strengths, throwing yet more controversy into the lower weights and the quest for dominance. The fights themselves were plagued with ebbing tides, peculiar fouls and equal turns of heroism and disappointment.
Brandon Rios
Gamboa decisions Salido, Rios defeats Peterson
by Matt Stein: World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (19-0, 15 KO’s) struggled to some extent in beating Mexican Orlando Salido (34-11-2, 22 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Palms Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final judges’ scores were 116-109, 114-109 and 115-109. Gamboa dominated pretty much the entire fight, and had Salido down twice on the canvas with a flurry of big shots in the 12th round.
Gamboa vs. Rojas on September 11th – News
By Jim Dower: WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (18-0, 15 KO’s) will be facing his best opponent thus far when he takes on WBC featherweight champion Elio Rojas (22-1, 13 KO’s) in a title unification bout on September 11th in a still to be determined location.
Boxing News – Rios Destroys Guevara
By Manuel Perez: The talented but deeply flawed super featherweight prospect Brandon Rios (19-0-1, 13 KOs) stopped Nicaraguan journeyman Carlos Guevara (12-8-1, 9 KOs) in the 5th round of a scheduled 10-round bout on Friday night at the National Western Complex Arena, in Denver, Colorado. Rios, 220, the 2004 United States Amateur Featherweight champion, hurt Guevara in both the 4th and 5th rounds, knocking him down twice in the 5th, causing the fight to be stopped by referee Curtis Thrasher at 1:11 of the round after Rios had connected with a big left uppercut to the head of Guevera.