Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank Promotions
Terence Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) made the first successful defense of his WBO Lightweight title by knocking out Yuriorkis Gamboa (23-1, 16 KOs) in the ninth round of a scheduled 12-round fight at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, June 28, 2014.
The fight was the main event of a card presented by Top Rank Promotions, SMS Promotions, and HBO Boxing.
The 26-year-old Omaha native headlined the first world title-fight to be held in Omaha since “Smokin” Joe Frazier knocked out Ron Stander in May of 1975.
In a fight that began as a battle of wits, but which ended as a slugfest between two solid technicians, Gamboa controlled the fight early, boxing on the outside with his hands down and landing overhand rights as he leaped into range.
In rounds two and three, Gamboa continued outboxing Crawford, using his natural skill and agility to leap in and out of range, landing right hands and left hooks on an un-acclimated Crawford who, by this point, had switched to southpaw.
“I was warming up, getting used to his style. In the first couple of rounds, I just wanted to test him out and see where he was at and adjust,” said Crawford in his post-fight interview with HBO’s Max Kellerman.
Crawford’s southpaw stance seemed to not make a difference early but, as he adapted to his Gamboa’s speed, Crawford’s counter right hook began to change the fight.
Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank Promotions
“My coach told me to keep my hands up a little more and to catch him coming in. He was coming in wild and I just was lazy—I wasn’t reacting as fast I normally do,” said Crawford of his early trouble and his mid-fight adjustment.
Indeed, Crawford seemed a bit tentative with his jab in the early rounds, rarely throwing it with enough force to dissuade Gamboa.
It was his switch to southpaw, however, that gave him the confidence to take control of the fight with a right jab.
“I felt like I could make an adjustment with my jab because he’s always dropping his left hand and I could get into rhythm by catching him with the jab from the southpaw stance,” said Crawford.
Gamboa getting caught coming in with no guard #CrawfordGamboa #Boxing pic.twitter.com/TFJSXvnUZ5
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) June 29, 2014
Indeed, in round five, Crawford knocked Gamboa down with a powerful check right hook that was landed as Gamboa was wildly coming forward.
The fight was from thereon changed as Gamboa seemed to have trouble recovering in rounds six and seven, wildly charging into the ropes after taking two right hooks at the end of round seven.
Gamboa’s legs were no longer there and the pop that made his first few rounds spectacular had disappeared.
In the eighth round, Gamboa was knocked down again as he was foolishly exchanging with his hands down against a much taller and stronger opponent Gamboa had the skill and will to fight, but his pride got the best of him, never listening to his corner’s exhortations to keep his hands up.
In the ninth round, Gamboa was finally stopped after two knockdowns–one by a left hand and another by a right upper cut that forced the referee to stop the fight.
Crawford elevates his status in a division that also includes the likes of Miguel Vasquez and Omar Figueroa, while the former Cuban Featherweight champion suffers the first defeat of his career.
Matt Korobov (24-0, 14 KOs) vs. Jose Uzcategui (22-1, 18 KOs)
Round 10, Uzcategui needs a knockout, fighting just to finish the fight though. #CrawfordGamboa #Boxing pic.twitter.com/kQYw7tkczQ
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) June 29, 2014
In the co-main event, Matt Korobov scored a unanimous decision victory over Jose Uzcategui in a 10-round Middleweight fight to win the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title.
Despite having a reach, height, and age advantage, Uzcategui illustrated that he was never taught to use his advantages, choosing to exchange hooks with Korobov at close range.
Korobov, a Russian southpaw with amateur world championship wins, was poised and relaxed as he busily outworked Uzcategui in the early rounds, cutting Uzcategui with a powerful left hand in round one.
In the second and third rounds, Korobov landed powerful punches in the clinch, making it an uncomfortable start of Uzcategui.
By the middle rounds, however, Korobov was visibly tired, breathing heavily with his mouth open between exchanges.
Uzcategui took advantage of Korobov’s exhaustion in round five by landing several right hands, one of which cut Korobov above his left eye.
The referee, however, was unaware of this, ruling that the cut was caused by a headutt.
The incorrect call fortunately had no effect on the fight, as Korobov landed two thunderous right hooks in round eight to cement his win.
A desperate Uzcategui did not have the power to save his undefeated record before the tenth and final round.
One judge scored the bout 97-91, while another two scored the bout 96-92 for the 31-year-old Korobov.
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