Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano (born 23 December 1981) is a Cuban professional boxer. He is a former unified featherweight world champion, having held the WBA and IBF titles between 2009 and 2011, as well as the WBA interim championship in both the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the flyweight division at the 2004 Olympics, and bronze in the featherweight division at the 2005 World Championships.
Amateur highlights
Four-time Cuban national champion
2003 Pan American Games gold medalist
2004 Olympic gold medalists
2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships bronze medalist
2006 Central American and Caribbean Games bronze medalist
2006 World Cup champion
Gamboa's 2004 Olympic Boxing results were: Round of 32 – Defeated Igor Samoilenco of Moldava – PTS (46-33) Round of 16 – Defeated Somjit Jongjohor of Thailand – PTS (26-21) Quarterfinals – Defeated Georgy Balakshin of Russia – PTS (26-18) Semifinals – Defeated Rustamhodza Rahimov of Germany – PTS (20-11) Gold Medal Match – Defeated Jérôme Thomas of France – PTS (38-23)
Defection
While training in Venezuela, Gamboa, along with Cuban teammates Odlanier Solís and Yan Bartelemí, snuck out of camp and found their way to Colombia and eventually to Germany, where they applied for visas to enter the United States. Before defecting, he had sold his Olympic gold medal to support his family.
Professional career
Debut in Germany
Gamboa made his professional boxing debut on 27 April 2007, in Hamburg, Germany against Alexan Manvelyan. He prepared for his pro debut and his next seven fights with technical specialist Manny Masson. Gamboa put Manvelyan on the canvas in the third round and won via unanimous decision victory. Two months later, he defeated Araik Sachbazjan when Sachbazjan retired before the beginning of round four.
Debut in the United States
After winning his first four fights in Germany, Gamboa made his United States debut on 30 October 2007, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, against Adailton De Jesus, who was dropped to the canvas halfway through the first round. A Gamboa slip in the fourth round was ruled a knockdown by the referee. Gamboa's relentless pressure eventually forced a stoppage in the sixth and final round.
Gamboa fought Gilberto Luque on 5 January 2008, at Bally's Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Gamboa sent his opponent to the canvas less than 30 seconds into first round with a left hand. After two more knockdowns, the referee stopped the fight. On 22 February 2008, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he made his American television debut against Johnnie Edwards. Gamboa knocked Edwards down in the first 30 seconds of the fight after connecting with a left hand to the head. Edwards got up, but was met with left-hand punches from Gamboa, ending with two consecutive right hands that knocked Edwards down for the second and final time as the referee moved in and halted the fight in round one. Gamboa won the vacant WBC-NABF super featherweight title.
On 17 May 2008, at Buffalo Bill's Star Arena in Primm, Nevada, Gamboa fought Darling Jimenez. Gamboa started off well in the first three rounds of the fight, swarming Jimenez and hitting him with punches over and over but got careless and was knocked down by a right hand behind the ear from Jimenez. Gamboa got up and finished the fight strong, winning by unanimous decision and claiming the vacant WBC International super featherweight title. After the fight, Gamboa's promoter Ahmet Öner fired Gamboa's trainer Osmiri Fernandez, replacing him with Ismeal Salas. On 18 July 2008, stepping down to featherweight, Gamboa scored a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Al Seeger to win the vacant WBO-NABO featherweight title at Buffalo Bill's Star Arena. A left hook to the body set up a right hand that landed across Seeger's face, causing him to collapse backwards flat onto the canvas. The referee stepped over Seeger without bothering to count, officially stopping the bout.