By Ian S Palmer
American Terence Crawford attempt to will defend his newly-won WBO Lightweight Championship this Saturday, June 28 when he takes on Cuban native Yuriorkis Gamboa at the CenturyLink Center in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. The 12-round bout can be caught live on HBO in America and Canada as well as on BoxNation in the UK.
The 26-year-old Crawford carries a 23-0 record around with him along with 16 Kos. He’s not exactly a household name in the boxing world, but is hoping a win here on a nationally televised card will change that. Crawford has been working hard to be successful as this will be his fifth battle in the past two years. He won the title back in March when he beat Ricky Burns over in Britain by a unanimous decision. Crawford’s going to have a hard time making a positive impression here though since he’s an excellent boxer, but is a defensive-first fighter.
In addition, the 32-year-old Gamboa basically takes the same approach to the sport and this could end up being a real snooze fest. Gamboa is also undefeated and ironically has the exact same record as Crawford at 23-0 with 16 Kos. He hasn’t been very active lately though with just two bouts since 2011 and this will be his first in a year. Gamboa has quick hands, but still doesn’t let them go nearly enough. He’s gone the distance in four of his last half dozen contests as he doesn’t really have the killer instinct.
Crawford has shown he’s hungry while Gamboa’s work ethics and desire have often been questioned. If Gamboa decides to throw more punches in this bout he could leave himself open for Crawford’s excellent counterpunching. Crawford knows how to time his shots just right and that could cause a problem for the Cuban. Gamboa can’t afford to get reckless or he’ll pay for it.
Prediction
Crawford has all the advantages here such as five inches in reach, 2.5 inches in height and he’s fighting in his hometown. He’s also been active. Where the former world champion Gamboa does hold the edge is in the experience department. He’s beaten the likes of Orlando Salido, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jorge Solis, and Jonathan Victor Barros. Gamboa probably has the skills to beat Crawford, but perhaps not the desire and/or motivation. I don’t really see this as an exciting fight, but it still should be a close and competitive one with Crawford holding onto his title by a decision.
