Yuriorkis Gamboa has found different ways to win fights since his professional debut four years ago.
A Miami resident and Cuba native, Gamboa frequently displayed fast and powerful hands to knock out 17 opponents. On rarer occasions, Gamboa was pushed to the limit but always with his hand raised in victory.
Late Saturday, Gamboa displayed a new winning method that kept him undefeated and eager for richer fights.
Gamboa didn?t go the distance or stop his opponent but won a technical unanimous decision over Mexico?s Daniel Ponce De Leon in Atlantic City.
Gamboa (21-0) was never in trouble, frustrating De Leon (41-4) with solid counter rights to the head and lead combinations. Gamboa maintained the pace throughout the scheduled 12-round featherweight bout.
Midway through the eighth round, Gamboa and De Leon accidentally knocked heads, opening a huge gash on De Leon?s forehead. The cut proved too deep for De Leon to continue. Because of that, the result was determined by the judges? scoring through the first eight rounds.
?This was an important fight for me because he took me into the eighth round,? Gamboa said.
? Despite having only two fights in a four-year span, Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to dictate terms on his ring activity. Mayweather has reached the stature that he can select opponents and fight dates.
Mayweather, who has frequently exchanged spots with Manny Pacquiao as the sport?s best pound-for-pound fighter for the past four years, will end another long layoff with his welterweight title fight against Victor Ortiz on Saturday night in Las Vegas. For Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs), the bout will be his first since winning a lopsided decision over Shane Mosley in May 2010.
