Round Up: Gamboa Adds Another Belt to His Collection

Fight:  WBA Champion YURIORKIS GAMBOA, 18-0, 15 KOs, Miami, Fla. vs. ORLANDO SALIDO, 34-10-2, 22 KOs, Ciudad Obregon, Mexico

Division: WBA/IBF Featherweight Championship – 12 Rds.

Result: Gamboa wins by Unanimous Decision

Detail: “He is a very good fighter with a lot of professional experience,” said Gamboa before the fight. “But he is not really at my level. My speed and power will be too much for him.”

Gamboa was right on both counts. Although he dominated for the vast majority of the bout, Salido proved to be both tough and cool-headed. Even in the face of deadly accurate and powerful combinations, Salido used his experience to his benefit. Indeed, he was not only able to absorb a brutal flurry from Gamboa in the eighth, but also counter with a hard right that briefly knocked Gamboa down. But the Cuban quickly popped back up and didn’t appear to be hurt.

And that was really the only time Gamboa was in trouble. He slowed his assault here and there, perhaps weary of opening himself up too much. But most of the time, he let his hands go, opening up with whip-fast flurries that wore Salido down over the course of the fight. In the tenth, Gamboa’s efforts finally paid off when he buckled Salido with a ferocious left. Salido stayed on his feet, however. His jaw must be made of granite.

To Gamboa’s credit, he didn’t get frustrated or over-extend himself in the face of Salido’s persistence. Instead, he remained on the attack, while using his speed to prevent Salido from connecting too often. Gamboa showed the type of decision-making skills that only maturity can bring.

Salido edged closer to the breaking point in the eleventh round. Gamboa came fast and hard out of his corner and pinned Salido on the ropes with another fistic tornado. Amazingly, Salido refused to go down again.

Then came round twelve. Gamboa kept up the pressue and poured it on Salido. He went down. The ref didn’t give him the count, however, because Gamboa, pehaps still in the heat of the moment, hit Salido while he was on the canvas. As a result, Gamboa had two points deducted.

It didn’t matter. Though Salido got back up and finished the fight, short of a knock down, there was no way he was going to win. The judges scored it 116-109, 114-109, 115-109–all in favor of Gamboa.

After the fight, Gamboa said through an interpreter: “Without a doubt, it’s been the toughest fight I’ve had.” Why? “Because every time I hit him, Salido would come back.”

Then he addressed the elephant literally in the room: Would he fight JUAN MANUEL “JUANMA” LOPEZ?  While Lopez listened from his seat in the stadium, Gamboa said: “This fight has been talked about for a while. Definitely, it will happen.”