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HBO commentator Max Kellerman may have said it
best. In summing up a sometimes breathtaking, sometimes exasperating exhibition
of athleticism and boxing skills by Cuban defector Yuriorkis Gamboa, Kellerman
said: "What we saw is a potential star in a gestation period." Gamboa
(10-0, 8 KOs), the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, looked dazzling but erratic as he outclassed Daniel
Jimenez (23-4, 14 KOs), winning by unanimous decision, 97-92 on two scorecards,
99-91 on a third.
Where Was The Liver Punch?
A legendary amateur with over 450 amateur
fights, Gamboa obviously is a potential superstar in the making, but hasn't yet
made the transition to the professional style. Arrogantly keeping his hands low
while demonstrating hand and foot speed bordering on the phenomenal, Gamboa
spent 10 rounds head-hunting without once showing any sort of body attack to
balance his assault. It reminded me of when Tito Trinidad was landing head shot after head shot against Ricardo Mayorga, until he went to the body and stopped the Nicaraguan Mad Man. I was waiting for that left hook to the liver to punctuate the performace; it never happend. Alfredo Angulo and James Kirkland both landed some tremendous shots to the body and earned KO's in each of their fights. Gamboa's overconfidence resulted in a fourth round
knockdown which left him wobbly, but he came back and dominated the remainder
of the fight and left Jimenez's face bloodied and bruised.
In contrast, a less accomplished young Olympian, Mexican Alfredo Angulo (13-0,
10 KOs), looked far more the polished professional in unleashing a relentless,
two-fisted body attack which gradually wore down another tough prospect,
Richard Gutierrez (24-2, 14 KOs). After getting knocked down himself in the
fifth round, Angulo came back and viciously battered around Gutierrez until
referee Tony Weeks stepped in and stopped the fight with 12 seconds left in the
round.
In the first fight of the night, James Kirkland (22-0, 19 KOs) -- the third
rising star on the card for promoter Gary Shaw -- came out of his corner at the
opening bell like the Terminator on steroids, scoring two knockdowns of veteran
Eromosele Albert (21-3, 10 KOs) before referee Joe Cortez stopped it with just
over a minute left in the first round.
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