Gamboa is either pulling a Froch or starting to lose the plot...

10 fights into his career and with no name to speak of, Jimenez is about as good of an opponent as he can expect to get. Everyone knows Gamboa-Pacquiao is probably never going to happen. However, they're going to hype him up and try getting him as much good TV exposure as possible, and hope that if he's exciting enough, he'll get enough of a fan base to force a fight with a bigger name fighter. Oner is handling Gamboa perfectly for someone with no name who's pretty close to being a top level fighter with little pro experience. Move him up the rankings, and the bigger fights will be easier to make, since a lot of fighters fight for titles as much as they fight for money.

Seriously, in his 10th fight he's facing a guy who's never been down and whose only losses are majority decisions against former titleholders. His 11th fight is scheduled to be against a guy who's fought for the title twice, beat Celestino Caballero, and is the only man to put a blemish on Chris John's record. His 9th fight was against a guy who just beat a lineal titleholder. The combined record of his first 10 opponents (and this includes a couple of late replacements) is 169-31-8. To say he's not stepping up to good competition is asenine.

If he's 20 fights into his career, and he's still fighting this level of fighter, then you can say he's pulling a Froch. In the meantime, it looks like they're moving him up as quickly as possible. At the rate they're going, he could be fighting the top rung by 2009.

 

Name someone above 112 who's been moved this quickly and isn't getting hyped (people don't pay as much attention to the guys 112 and below, and since there are generally so many fewer of them, the good ones get to the elite level much faster and it's always been that way). The other guys I can remember doing this all got the same level of hype, and at least for a while, lived up to the hype - Tszyu, Vargas, etc. Not to mention that just from watching him you can see what a special skill set he has.

Oh, and in Japan, Kameda and Nashiro got just as much hype as Gamboa. Their media machine just doesn't extend over here.

 

Jimenez is not a journeyman but a legitimate SFW contender after knocking out big prospect Mike Anchondo. He's in the same league as Zertuche or Zuniga. He's a big, stong, powerful, very durable and aggressive fighter at 28, you couldn't find anyone better for Yuri at this stage of his career, and it's definitely one he can lose.

But it all doesn't matter. You should know (or now you'll know) that most press releases (especially the trash-talk Calzaghes) are written by the promotional companies' press team. So when you read 5 press releases in two weeks for the same fighter, it doesn't mean they are having a chat with the given boxer every 3 days, but the man/woman who's getting paid for this is fabricating the quotes as well... it might sound bad, but it is the truth... of course they make it as believable as it can be...

But this is a very typical press release. Arena's press guy's job here was to advertise this weekend's card mentioning Gamboa, the WBC international title, the guy who previously held it (PacMan), the guy who's the best in the division (Pac) and of course the opponent (Jimenez). 90% that this is a prefabricated press relese, so I just want to tell that you shouldn't make too much conclusions here...

 

While he's ready to fight for this belt against Jimenez? I think he's positioned much better in a year against the Guzman, Donaire's, Mijares.

 

gamboa will destroy

 

Jimenez is a better 10th opponent than anyone I can currently think of, save for Nashiro, who had Castillo and Munoz before his 10th fights.

He's a legit fringer, superior to anyone Khan faced. Put Jimenez in with those domestic cream puffs and you'll get plenty of Anchondo like KO's, including over that of the much overrated Willie Limond, just because he troubled little boy Khan.

Jimenez is a fringe contender on the world scene, two losses to former titlists in close bouts, never been down. A Gamboa destruction would say a whole lot.

 

I mean its his 10th fight. Give him a few more with good solid veterans like Jimenez and it will enhance his game as he faces the divisons best.

While w can always throw out the Leon Spinks example of a guy who rose, challenged, and won quickly? I'd hope there's better long term for Gamboa.