Yuri Gamboa: Olympic Boxing Gold Medalist Has Bright Future After Signature Win

The sky is the limit for Yuri Gamboa (22-0, 16 KOs) after winning his Manny Pacquaio vs. Juan Manuel Marquez undercard fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Dec. 8.

Gamboa, a former Cuban Olympic boxing Gold medalist and 50 Cent’s first promoted fighter, knocked off Filipino fighter Michael Farenas (34-4-4) by a convincing 117-109, 118-108 and 117-108 advantage. He obtained the WBA interim-super featherweight title with the victory.

Before the match, 50 Cent made his mark by lowering himself down to the ring from the rafters while rapping one of his sounds.

In the ring, things started out slow but quickly turned around for 50 Cent’s heavily favored client. Gamboa brought the fight to Farenas throughout the bout in order to score his convincing win.

He dropped Farenas to the mat in the second round, cut him open in the third and then dropped him again with a vicious combination in the seventh.

Farenas didn’t give up, though, and tagged the favorite with a big left hook in the ninth round, sending him hurt to the mat.

It was a good but expected performance from the former Olympian. The fact that it came on as big of a stage as it did makes the win one of the biggest of his career.

The undefeated Gamboa is likely to find himself in the ring with super lightweight Adrien Broner as a result of pulling off this win.

Promoter 50 Cent said he was going to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

“I would [put Gamboa against Broner]. Gamboa’s next fight, he’ll probably move up to 135. That’s exciting, right? That what people want to see, right?,” 50 Cent said, according to Chuck Creekmur of AllHipHop.com.

The fight, if it does goes down, would be the biggest of Gamboa’s career.

If he can pull a win off at a greater weight and against a fighter of Broner’s caliber, there would be nothing stopping him from stardom.

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