Yuriorkis Gamboa signs with Golden Boy Promotions

http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/...s-multi-fight-promotional-contract-golden-boy

Former unified featherweight world titleholder Yuriorkis Gamboa, in the midst of yet another lengthy layoff, has signed a multifight promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions and will have the first bout of the deal on March 11 on HBO's "Boxing After Dark," Golden Boy announced on Monday.

Terms of Gamboa's deal, which is in association with ZR Entertainment, were not disclosed.

Gamboa (25-1, 17 KOs) will square off with journeyman Rene Alvarado (24-7, 16 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight match that will serve as the co-feature to the previously announced middleweight main event between former world titleholder David Lemieux (36-3, 32 KOs) and former world title challenger Curtis Stevens (29-5, 21 KOs) at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York (11 p.m. ET/PT).

"I am looking forward to winning yet another world title, and I know Golden Boy Promotions is the perfect place to help guide me," Gamboa said. "Though I have recently had some long stretches of inactivity, that stops today, and I will take on anyone, anytime, to achieve my goal of recapturing a championship belt."

Miami, Florida, resident Gamboa, 35, a 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist who defected and turned pro in 2007, did not fight at all in 2016. He has not been in the ring since winning a 10-round unanimous decision against Hylon Williams Jr. on a Golden Boy Promotions undercard in December 2015. That bout followed a 13-month layoff.

Gamboa has been through a variety of promoters, including Top Rank and a short-lived association with SMS Promotions, the company headed by rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson that went bankrupt. Last March, Gamboa signed with upstart Spain-based promoter BB Promotions, but that went nowhere and he never fought for the company.

Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya said he is pleased to add Gamboa to his company's stable and looks forward to getting him into high-profile fights.

"When he is on his game, there are few better than Gamboa in the 126, 130, or 135 weight classes," De La Hoya said. "We are going to get him in the ring in a quality match as soon as possible, and then work with him to start his path back to championship glory."

In 2010, Gamboa unified featherweight world titles in a decision win against Orlando Salido in which he retained one belt and won a vacant one. Gamboa has also won interim belts at junior lightweight and lightweight but when he stepped up in class to challenge then-lightweight world champion Terence Crawford in June 2014 -- coming off of yet another one-year layoff -- Gamboa got knocked out in the ninth round of an electrifying fight.

Alvarado, 27, of Nicaragua, is 4-5 in his last nine fights but coming off a 10-round split decision victory against former featherweight title challenger Jayson Velez in July.

 

I'm glad it was Salido to do it.

Gamboa says he will no longer be taking a lot of time off. I hope after 2 tune ups he can get right back in the mix.

 

Troll Alert

 

Your point?

 

I can see Gamboa getting fights with anyone. He's an exciting fighter, he has a pleasant style, and his chin can be cracked.