With Rojas Out, Gamboa Faces a New Opponent

Reports ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael:

“Featherweight titlist Elio Rojas has formally withdrawn from his Sept. 11 unification match against YURIORKIS GAMBOA because of hand and shoulder problems, manager Tony Tineo told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

“With Rojas out, Gamboa will instead face Orlando Salido, who also holds one of the 126-pound world titles, at The Palms resort in Las Vegas in the HBO “Boxing After Dark” main event, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said.

“Rojas, training for the first time with Kevin Cunningham, was having problems with his right hand and left shoulder last week. He broke his Las Vegas camp to return to New York to see his doctor this week and hoped to go through with the bout.

“‘The doctor recommended that he be out for two months, so the fight is off,’ Tineo said. ‘Elio is very disappointed because he wanted to fight Gamboa and prove to the world that he is the best featherweight. He is very, very disappointed. He told me yesterday, ‘Oh, Tony, I have all my plans on how I’m going to beat Gamboa and then it all goes down.’ I told him, ‘We can fight him in the future.'”

Read the full report HERE. And watch Gamboa dismantle Panamanian fighter WHYBER GARCIA in New York’s Madison Square Garden in Oct. 2009: