~ The Yuriorkis Gamboa Bandwagon ~

In an interesting report published by AP, Rigondeaux's wife, still in Cuba, speaks on the recent news. Interesting read.



HAVANA -- Former Olympic boxing champion Guillermo Rigondeaux defected to the United States, 18 months after he was kicked off the Cuba team as punishment for a previous defection attempt.

Farah Colina said Tuesday her husband had no choice but to flee Cuba if he wanted to box again.

"I'm surprised on one level because he left home at the end of January saying he was going to Santiago," Colina said, referring to the eastern city that is Cuba's second largest. "But, on another level, I think he was obligated to do this."

Luis de Cubas, an agent for Arena Box Promotions in the United States, confirmed that Rigondeaux was in Miami and interested in fighting. The 28-year-old boxer won bantamweight gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

Colina said her husband called a neighbor Saturday to say he made it to Miami. The family does not have a phone. She declined to describe his journey to the U.S., but said he sounded happy and nervous on the phone.

She spoke from her home in Havana's Boyeros district that she shared with Rigondeaux, the couple's 7-year-old son and her 17-year-old boy whom the boxer raised as his stepson.

Rigondeaux hoped to try for a third Olympic title at last summer's Beijing Games. But in July 2007 he and 2005 welterweight world champion Erislandy Lara disappeared during the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. Both were accused of overstaying their visas, arrested and sent back to the island.

Rigondeaux and Lara insisted they never intended to defect, but a German promoter said they signed pro contracts. Fidel Castro wrote in an essay after their return to Cuba that the pair had "reached the point of no return" with the national boxing team. Lara defected to the U.S. last year.

In an interview with The Associated Press in August, Rigondeaux insisted he deserved a second chance to box for Cuba. His wife said that after her husband returned to Cuba, Rigondeaux trained for months but became increasingly depressed.

"He always thought they would give him another chance," Colina said. "Those were very hard moments and nobody came to even offer him a job."

 

Good read on the main page on the recent happenings in Cuban boxing.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=18883&more=1

But I'd like to add that even in banning pro sports, Castro didn't let sport die, and what history has to give credit to the Communist countries, is putting sports together, even if they did it by socialist methods. Cuba shortly started to dominate Olympic Boxing, making this little nation very proud, and that happened, because amateur boxing was put together and stayed together in a very well working form. It's a tough world, no Las Vegas gym conditions, no cars and cigars and parties during the amateur years, but well controlled, hard work in a very good training team - from a sport perspective, that’s how boxers should get developed.

Imagine if suddenly everyone was allowed to do whatever they want, which of course it should be. But with money coming from all over the world, the trainers and the young talents would just go everywhere, and this ultimately successful world, which DEPENDS ON all these coaches and talents staying together, would collapse. Look what happened as Gamboa, Barthelemy, Solis and Lara left, not one gold medal in Beijing. It was a HUGE shock to the Cuban boxing world. These amazing kids aren't just playing around in Cuba. Their success is based upon their great trainers (most of them former fighters) the sparring you don’t get anywhere else in the world, because they spar and fight each others, and of course not being allowed to do whatever they want, staying focused. Gamboa wouldn't be Gamboa and Rigondeaux wouldn't be Rigondeaux without the socialist form of Cuban amateur boxing. Then again, it's thinking from the boxing, not the political perspective, which is very different. But when time will come and money will be allowed to buy out these trainers and young talents before they could reach the experience level only the current Cuban boxing can offer, this amazing talent pool will flow into the Ocean.


The other, often discusses subject. Former amateur pro boxers from Cuba all have focus and dedication issues once they leave the Island and amateur boxing behind, as their career is not controlled that tight anymore. It’s understandable, but pro training is just as hard as amateur, and when they have all the time and the money to do whatever they want, they show significantly less interest in boxing, which, again from the sport's standpoint, is very sad. Whether this issue is related to the Cuban politics, the Island's conditions or the ‘Cuban character’, is something I can’t answer. But why Cuban amateur boxing works is because these talents put it back in the bag what they took during all those years getting the amazing experience, not just grab it and say thank you for your help, but I’m leaving. It’s very complicated.

 

Takahiro Aoh beat Oscar Larios today in Japan, to get the WBC FW title, which is Team Gamboa looking for. At least was looking for, because it'll be very difficult for Arena to make the Aoh fight outside of Japan, and I think Öner wants Gamboa's title shot in Miami and in Miami only. Therefore they'll have to consider looking for another organization.

Currently boxrec has Gamboa vs. Jose Rojas (not Elio Rojas, a very good Dominican fighter) in it's schedule, but boxrec isn't a very good source to trust. It shows the WBA interim FW belt on the line for April 17's ShoBox card, which would mean Arena is after Chris John, the least beatable champ (best fighter at FW who has the best style to beat Yuri). John is not injured or anything, so giving out another 'interim' **** is absolutely idiotic.

But now with John appearing on HBO and probably getting another date vs. Rocky Juarez, John-Gamboa suddenly makes sense for the US TV. So who knows, we might get this fight at the end of the year.

HUGE credit for Arena if they'll go the hard way. John is very very good.

 

ShoBox on April 17: Gamboa vs Rojas; Aydin vs Ouali (press release)

On April 17th Yuriorkis Gamboa has the big chance to become the first world champion for ARENA Box-Promotion. “El Ciclon” (14-0, 12 kos) faces WBA #1 Jose “Cheo” Rojas (15-6-1, 17 kos) for the WBA interim featherweight title at the “Star of the Desert Arena” at Primm Valley Casino Resorts in Primm, Nevada featured live on “ShoBox: The Next Generation” (8pm PT; 11pm ET). “I am very proud and honoured to fight for my first world title”, says Gamboa. “This is what I turned professional for: to fight big fights and collect championship belts. I thank everybody for this opportunity. I will not underestimate Rojas – but I will beat him..”

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The fight will certainly be Gamboa’s toughest challenge so far. Rojas has gone the distance with WBA super champion Chris John in March 2007 and also got a technical draw with John in his record when their fight in December 2004 had to be stopped after a head clash.

Gamboa and his team are already in training camp in Nevada for their final preparations.

“Everything is going according to plans” states trainer Ismael Salas. “We have great sparring partners. Yuri is very focused and very determined. He knows what he has to do and he will do it on April 17th.”



In the co-feature rising Turkish welterweight star Selcuk Aydin will give his US debut against “Prince” Said Ouali (25-2, 17 kos) in a WBC semi-final elimination bout. WBC #6 and reigning and defending WBC international champion Aydin holds an impressive record of 17 wins without defeat including 14 stoppages. In his last appearance on March 6th in Cuxhaven, Germany, ARENA’s “Mini-Tyson” destroyed Luis Hernandez from Ecuador in one round.

“People in the US asked me for Selcuk after they had seen his fights on the internet”, says promoter Ahmet Öner. “I am very happy that I can present him on a major TV station in his first US appearance. He is very aggressive, very powerful and has good hand speed as well. But Ouali is a strong opponent. This promises to be a very exciting fight. The winner truly deserves a shot at the WBC title.”