Key #1 for Terence Crawford Pace Yourself and Take Gamboa Deep
When Terence Crawford steps into the ring on Saturday night, it’ll be his fifth fight since March of 2013. He’s fought good competition, dominating each opponent including Ricky Burns–the man who Crawford defeated in Scotland to win the WBO title.
Yuriorkis Gamboa on the other hand will be entering into only his second fight in that same amount of time.
Gamboa’s inactivity and a lack of stamina will be a big factor if Crawford plays his cards right.
The Omaha native should focus on breaking Gamboa down over the long haul with a steady work rate. In previous fights, Crawford has shown the ability to land power punches with precision–landing 60 of 121 (or 50 percent) over six rounds against Alejandro Sanabria.
Against Sanabria, Crawford landed a modest two of six power punches in Round 1, but built up to landing 19 of 32 (59 percent) in Round 5. A progressive breakdown will equal a potential beat down of Gamboa.
If Crawford can diversify his attack and go to the body early on, he will set himself up for a late stoppage victory.
Key #1 for Yuriorkis Gamboa Throw Those Fists
It was just a couple of years ago that Yuriorkis Gamboa was considered one of the most exciting fighters in boxing. He combined breathtaking hand speed with excellent power to completely overwhelm his hapless foes.
In recent fights, he’s boxed more, while dialing down the punch output. What made him such a compelling fighter has been virtually non-existent lately – the combination punching. In fact, he’s been downright hideous to watch, content on cruising to sleep-inducing decisions. He hasn’t scored a knockout in over three years.
That all needs to change Saturday night. Not only is he going up against a tricky boxer in Terence Crawford, but he’s fighting in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. That decision victory might be hard to come by.
The solution is to utilize what got the Cuban star this far – those wicked flurries. While Crawford is highly skilled, Gamboa may possess the fastest hands on the planet. He needs to be a buzzsaw in the ring again. A relentless, two-fisted attack is absolutely imperative.
