Gamboa to move up in weight says he done with 126lbs!

Full story and fight report from Gamboa vs Ponce De Leon.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/6956711/yuriorkis-gamboa-cruises-daniel-ponce-de-leon

I'm a bit split on this as much as I would love to see Gamboa fight the likes of Pacquiao and Mayweather (imo he's the only one with the talent to match Mayweather in the sport right now), I was hoping to see him and Donaire go at it. Bob Arum was lining that up for next year.

I think Donaire would give him problems he hasn't faced, his speed and power are unreal. I expect we'll see a fair few 'Gamboa is running from Donaire' quotes being thrown about.

On Gamboa facing Pacquiao or Mayweather, I think they're too high in weight right now, the last thing he needs is to jump from 126 to 140 or 147 too quickly. There are plenty of good fights at lightweight and light-welter and he could easily pick up a belt or two quickly at super-feather.

Slash, anyone who says he's running from Donaire is full of brown stuff. He's a monster at the weight, an absolute monster. Be interesting to see how high he goes in terms of weight, but wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as a natural WW.

Full of guff indeed but it's undoubtedly going to happen, it was my first thought as soon as I read the OP which is a double shame as not only is Gamboa my favourite boxer but the Donaire fight is THE fight I want to see in boxing right now.

Agree is a monster at the weight, but I think he should still get the Juanma fight out of the way before moving up, therefore leaving no questions unanswered at the weight. SFW should just be a stepping stone to LW though as the weight jump is small and there are no marquee fights after Broner at the weight.

Makes me even more annoyed that Burns is running to LW as that'd a) be a good stepping stone fight before Broner; and b) might've been in the UK so could've gone watch!

Coxy, do you not think his lack of reach will hold him back from higher weights like WW? Also he's 29 so not sure how much natural growing he has left really.

Tophat

There aren't guys coming through or currently at WW who have piston like jabs, reach for me doesn't make a huge difference at WW - never see a guy struggle to get inside a jab like we talk about when discussing a Klitschko fight etc. Manny only has a 2" longer reach or something, hasn't done too bad has he?

Always struck me that he was light for his frame, he hasn't been pro all that long and it's beyond me to comment on why... but it does appear that he's got the frame to add a few more pounds. Quick check reveals he has come in at 133.5lbs before, which would suggest to me he has the capacity to probably go higher if he so wishes... Not sure of what his ring weights have been though. Wouldn't be the biggest WW out there though if he got that high, not by a long way

How would you see him faring against someone like Khan then? Hate the comparison but I spose it's fair to say early Tyson didn't have too much problem against people with significant height/reach advantages, though Gamboa is not much of an inside fighter - his Cuban amateur pedigree shows through.

Speaking of which, I understand that's why he turned pro so late, he defected from the amateur team in his mid-twenties. Can definitely see him clearing out SFW and LW divisions but I'm not sure if father time will catch up with him too much by LWW and upwards.

Agreed, is impossible to say what he'll go too. I never envisioned that Eubank (off the top of my head the first fighter that popped into my head) would go all the way to cruiserweight and more so be extremely competitive at the weight.

Against Khan? Couldn't say. Would like to see how he'd handle being at 135 etc, as he doesn't have a granite chin by any means.

It's hard to judge how he'll do but he is huge at 126lbs. He has fought as high as 135lbs before but he is 30 in a couple of months so he's clearly in a hurry. I'm a bit disappointed he's moving up I would have loved to see him fight Donaire and Rigondeaux but hopefully uncle Bob can match him with Brandon Rios at 135lbs that would be interesting.

Khan is the one man against whom reach will be a decisive factor, similar to Hearns in the way he can control lesser smaller fighters with his piston jab, at the moment do feel Gamboa would always be too small to cause him many problems, doubt he'd had the power to trouble him and his speed is countered by Khans own speed and jab.

I agree Khan is arguably the perfect anti-thesis for Gamboa as he has the speed to keep up with him and trouble him and also a very good jab with long range due to his own considerable frame. However I do think Gamboa could still have the power to trouble him, his technique, accuracy and overall class are well ahead of Maidana and his power punches are less crude and thrown with more snap.

Therefore, whilst I see Khan boxing his way to a UD, I don't think an upset is totally off the cards. Especially as Khan's speed of foot doesn't match his speed of hand therefore Gamboa could maybe cut off the ring, hunt him down and pressure him.

I don't believe it myself coxy, but as I say I think it's one of those things that might get bandied around, unfairly as you say.

Agreed he is huge at the weight, it would be very interesting to see him as high as LWW and WW, but I do feel there is plenty of good fights to be made between feather and LW. He has the ability to clear up at the next two divisions before looking for some mega fight paydays as his career winds down. Agreed also that I'd like to see him fight JuanMa before stepping up, if he can still handle the weight it'd be a barnstormer.

Difference being Maidana is a genuine light welterweight compared to a featherweight, very rarely does power transcend so many divisions.

Remember Gamboa won his Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Olympic at Flyweight so he would be in with guys who are naturally a lot bigger.

If his speed and power doesn't travel upwards well he will be in trouble. I'm not sure about it. I think he's just after a big pay day.

Think Pacquiao has clouded peoples judgements of what weight hopping generally is, someone as great and powerful as Duran started to losing his power as he went up the weights as did Hearns who with the exception of Andries more often than not outboxed opponents above middleweight rather than knock them out.

gamboa is a bit of something special though, power, speed, and skill to rivial anyone, he fights like naz toned down and tightened up a lot.