PATRICK MCELLIGOTT’S WEEKEND BOXING PREVIEW

Posted on | October 9, 2009 | No Comments

Saturday, October 10 – New York, New York (PPV) – junior featherweights: Juan Manuel Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs) vs. Rogers Mtagwa (26-12-2, 18 KOs); featherweights: Yuriorkis Gamboa (15-0, 13 KOs) vs. Whyber Garcia (22-6, 15 KOs)

Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa will be showcasing their skills on a PPV card this weekend, in what may be the final step before facing each other in 2010. Although the featherweight/ junior featherweight divisions do not get the attention that most of the larger weight classes do in the corporate media, boxing fans know that they will be seeing two of the most skilled and exciting fighters in the sport on Saturday. The possible match between these two will indeed be one of the true “super fights” of the decade.

Gamboa had some 250 amateur fights, including winning a 2004 Olympic title, before defecting from Cuba. As Teddy Atlas points out on ESPN’s FNFs, the Cuban fighters with this level of experience often have the ability to transition to the professional ranks, much faster than do amateurs from countries such as the USA. This is due to the experience against world-class competition, and their physical maturity. Gamboa, for example, is 27 years old.

Yuriorkis stands just under 5’ 6″, has a 65″ reach, and fights comfortably anywhere between 126 and 130 pounds. He is orthodox, has great hand and foot speed, and can deliver powerful shots in rapid combinations. His one weakness thus far has been being decked four times, although one was the result of an elbow, rather than a punch. The three real knockdowns do not appear to be due to a weak chin, so much as to bad balance. (As a general rule, a fighter’s center of balance is in the middle of their chest, and should form a triangle, so to speak, with their feet. When a fighter “reaches” with a punch, without shifting the lead foot, or when they straighten up and throw punches, they can far more easily be decked without being hurt. Balance is everything in boxing.)

Gamboa, ranked 10th by The Ring, has won the NABF Super Featherweight, the WBC International Super Featherweight and the WBO NABO Featherweight titles. His televised fights have drawn the attention of the boxing community, including his explosive first round flattening of tough Johnnie Edwards on ESPN FNF, and second round KO win over previously undefeated contender Marcos Ramirez on HBO’s BAD. He definitely has the ability to win a world title in 2010.

His opponent, Whyber Garcia, is a tough 28-year old from Panama. Almost all of Garcia’s fights have been in his home country,. In his four fights away from home, he has lost three; one lose in his lone fight in Venezuelo (to Edwin Velero in one round), and two of three in the United States. Also, four of his six loses came by way of TKO. Although he has a “puncher’s chance” against Gamboa, it seems likely that he will suffer his 5th knockout loss.

Juan Manuel Lopez started his amateur boxing career at the age of 10, in Puerto Rico. His amateur record was 126-24. He also fought in the 2004 Olympics. The 26-year old southpaw stands 5’ 7″, and has a 69″ reach. Since turning professional in January, 2005, he has fought at between 120 and 127 pounds. In his most recent fights, he’s been 121 lbs. He owns the WBO Super Bantamweight (aka Jr. Featherweight) title.

Lopez’s record correctly suggests that he is a “fighting machine.” He is aggressive, yet has very good defensive skills. He has scored a number of early knockouts; but more impressively, in his fights against better opposition, his non-stop aggression and uncanny punch output has made it impossible for anyone to go a full 12 rounds with him (his last 8 fights were scheduled for 12). It is this work ethic, combined with superior balance, patience, and self-discipline in the ring that will make him an extremely dangerous opponent for Gamboa when they eventually meet.

Lopez is facing journeyman Rogers “The Tiger” Mitagwa, of Tanzania. He is 30, and has been fighting professionally since 1997. When Rogers first came to the USA, in 2000, after fighting for several years in Africa, he was considered a good prospect. He had a number of victories over other good young fighters in Philadelphia. Although he has for for a couple paper titles – and did win one – he wasn’t quite able to win the big fights. And while he is definitely coming into this fight to try to pull off an upset, in what could well be his last big fight, he is an “old” 30 in terms of boxing years. It seems unlikely that he will be able to maintain the intense pace that Lopez fights at.

This should be an interesting card, and should help hold boxing fans over until the start of the Super Middleweight round robin tournament. Enjoy the fights.