It was a bad span of ninety-six hours for three outstanding and otherwise well-regarded world class fighters.
Yuriorkis Gamboa, Nonito Donaire, and Danny Garcia all suffered virtual public relations Pacquiao-like faceplants during the last four days and all three will have to work extra hard to regroup and rebound:
On Tuesday, a report from Miami’s New Times News linked Cuban Olympic gold medalist and former featherweight world titlist, Yuriorkis Gamboa, to a Miami supplier of performance enhancing drugs.
In the report, the anti-aging clinic, Biogenesis, was revealed to have PEDs dealings with several high-profile athletes, including several major league baseball players and a pro tennis player. Gamboa, the current interim WBA super featherweight titlist, was also listed among its clients.
Gamboa’s planned cocktail of performance enhancing substances was clearly outlined by Biogenesis in the records obtained by the New Times in their investigation.
Quoted from the article:
“In the 2009 notebook, Bosch outlines an extensive program he was shipping to Gamboa. In addition to protein powders and calcium/magnesium/zinc compounds, he included a six-day-a-week HGH regime, IGF-1, and a cream with 20 percent testosterone.
What’s more, Bosch even notes that Gamboa’s next bout is scheduled against Brandon Rios the following April and writes, ‘Start clean-up Dec. 1’ – presumably giving the boxer enough time to pass doping tests.”
The link to PEDs use will cast a shadow over Gamboa’s past and future accomplishments and put new promoter, 50 Cent of SMS Promotions, in a tough spot when it comes to pushing the Cuban to the next level of stardom.
After coming off fifteen months of inactivity and then an uneven, less-than-stellar performance against Michael Farenas in his ring return, a damning PEDs allegation is not exactly ideal.
Gamboa can recover, but it’s going to take big fights and awesome performances for this latest nastiness to be put behind him.
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While Gamboa was finding his name associated with an alleged PEDs distributor, “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire was having his otherwise good image dragged through social media and message board muck for an apparent unwillingness to fight junior featherweight rival, Abner Mares.
Golden Boy’s well-publicized $3 million offer to Donaire’s promoter, Top Rank, to green light a Mares bout was met with a great big “no,” creating the impression that the 2012 Fighter of the Year was ducking his most logical big ticket opponent.
To make matters worse, Donaire spent the better part of the weekend denying that any such offer was ever in existence, only to be burned publicly when Golden Boy actually produced the contract in question.
A face-saving effort to emphasize a possible Donaire-Guillermo Rigondeaux clash in April may have diverted some attention from the public relations misstep, but the impression remains that Donaire is willing to fight anyone– except the one fighter with the best chance of beating him.
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Last Saturday, WBA/WBC junior welterweight champ, Danny Garcia was on Twitter, providing running commentary to the undercard of the Showtime triple-header prior to the Lucas Matthysse-Mike Dallas Jr. main event.
Garcia was due to face Zab Judah on February 9 and then move on to face the winner of the Matthysse-Dallas bout.
Up until the main event ring entrances, Garcia was defiant and anxious to take on the world, proclaiming to his Twitter followers: “I’m ready for who ever!”
However, literally minutes after Matthysse’s devastating first round knockout victory, rumors started circulating that Garcia would be pulling out of the Judah bout. Various stories regarding the withdrawal emerged during this time, all seeming to contradict one another.
By Sunday morning, a rib injury, suffered during sparring, was being cited as the cause of the cancelled date. However, by then, plenty of damage had been done to Garcia’s otherwise good name.
Was he afraid of Judah? Fearful of having to face Matthysse down the line? Neither theory is likely, but the poor timing of the withdrawal made his decision look extremely bad.
Since then, Garcia has spoken to the media, appeared on boxing podcasts, and even Tweeted pictures of his injury. Garcia-Judah has been rescheduled for April 27, but until then, the earnest battler from, Philadelphia will likely have to endure more than his fair share of criticism from fight fans.
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Paul Magno was a licensed official in the state of Michoacan, Mexico and a close follower of the sport for more than thirty years. His work can also be found on Fox Sports and as Editor-in-Chief of The Boxing Tribune. In the past, Paul has done work for Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules and Eastside Boxing. For breaking news, additional analysis, and assorted crazy commentary, follow him on Facebook, @TheBoxingTribune or on Twitter, @BoxingBTBC.
