Reader Steven Dean posted a comment about the July 19 Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Al Seeger fight that was shown on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. The comment was so good that it deserved a post of its own.

Boxers so often, as Mr. Dean explains, take fights at an incredibly short notice. Seeger took the Gamboa fight on just five day’s notice, a ridiculous prospect given Gamboa’s unorthodox and incredibly difficult style. Below is Mr. Dean’s post and here is a link to Al Seeger’s career record. Thanks for reading and we hope to see Seeger back in the ring sometime soon.

What most commentators regarding this bout fail to mention is that Mr. Seeger had a maximum 3-5 day notice of substitution for this bout. Mr. Seeger had absolutely no time to prepare mentally or physically for the boxing style that a Gamboa employs, or to study the videos. Again, his was a last minute sub situation when the scheduled boxer, Jose Rojas, backed out of the engagement.

In my mind this makes Al Seeger even more courageous than he is, and has always been throughout his boxing career. This kid, maybe not a household name to some boxing fans, is a phenomenal athlete, and a world class boxer. His reach, his poetry of movement and his record of defeat by knockout of the majority of his world-class opponents speaks volumes for his talents.

Go back and review Al Seeger, both as an amateur, and as a professional, and one would be unable to find anything to disqualify him from world-class status. The kid is a wonder, and a beauty to behold. The results of this bout for Al Seeger, while disappointing, are short-term, but I guarantee that he has learned a heck of a lot from the experience.

Al never talks trash like many other boxers, is humble, a great man, and overall, a boxing professional, like the former greats. I cannot recall another like him. I have no doubt that the boxing world has not heard the last of this young fantastic boxer. Mr. Gamboa may have won this fight, but even in the results of this night’s engagement, Al Seeger is still a champ.

Post from: EveryJoe

A Boxer’s Courage: Al Seeger

Gamboa’s first round KO of Al Seeger reminded us once again why Yuriorkis may well be boxing’s top prospect. Even though it only lasted two minutes and change El Ciclon de Guantánamo looked demonstratively better than his last fight, a ten round decision against Darling Jimenez.

In the Jimenez fight Gamboa was all flash, fought with his hands down, and looked very unprofessional. As a result his trainer was promptly dismissed. The change appears to have paid off; yesterday Gamboa was business-like and calmly efficient. Below is the video of his terrific KO.

Post from: EveryJoe

Yuriorkis Gamboa Scores A Vicious First Round KO

Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Darling Jimenez
Before the fight has even started Max Kellerman calls Yuriorkis Gamboa a “Mike Tyson or Jack Dempsey in miniature.” With all the hullabaloo surrounding this guy we half expect him to levitate to the ring, turn water to wine, and transform Primm into Las Vegas. Can the hype be real?

Well, he’s awfully flashy. His hand speed and closing speed is astounding. He’s an unbridled ball of super-powered electricity. He’s freakishly athletic and talented. The problem is: he knows all of these things. He looks supremely bored by Jimenez. He fights with his hands down and goes wherever he wants. He has no respect for Jimenez and believes he can dodge and sidestep any punch he throws.

Gamboa is probably right. The skill chasm between these two makes the fight difficult to watch as does Gamboa’s foolish arrogance and complete lack of discipline.

Then Jimenez knocks him down! Oh my heavens! Vamos Darling! At this point Jimenez has forgotten the Mike Tyson, Roy Jones, and Jack Dempsey comparisons. Gamboa’s more like a Cuban Zab Judah. The bout is now watchable.

Amazingly, Yuriorkis still refuses to fight with his hands up. He still doesn’t believe he’s in any danger. He’s not going to get away with this cocksure attitude against a better class of fighter. Maybe he’ll even learn his lesson tonight, a lesson he’ll only understand if he loses.

Jimenez is digging in with a steady, professional, disciplined style landing where he can and trying to block Gamboa’s amazingly quick flurries. Hopefully he can sneak in another big blow.

In the seventh Gamboa throws Jimenez to the canvas twice with rudeness and classlessness. What will he do next to make me dislike him more? Is there anything he can do to make me like him?

His tenth round comes close as he begins with almost a minute and fifteen seconds worth of non-stop punching! Yuriorkis closes out the fight with the same energy and control with which he began. So it’s no surprise when he wins by a wide unanimous decision.

Nevertheless after this spotty debut in which Gamboa was simultaneously extremely hard working and very lazy it’s clear that the he’s-the-greatest-there-ever-will-be luster is gone. Gamboa was the pre-fight headliner but post-fight the broadcast’s highlights were the other two fighters: the bulldogs, Kirkland and Angulo.

Part One – HBO’s Night of the Bulldog: Ferocious Kirkland

Part Two- HBO’s Night of the Bulldog: Gutsy Angulo

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

HBO’s Night of the Bulldog: Flashy Gamboa

It’s 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday night. Your probably know already whether you’re going out or not. We here at www.jabandgrapple.com are indeed leaving the humble abode and headed to this party. Just because it’s an art show doesn’t mean we’re not tough. Heck, we’re watching Steven Seagal and DMX’s Exit Wounds right now.

Nevertheless if you are staying in you really need to watch tonight’s Boxing After Dark on HBO. We can’t explain why any better than Tim at Ring Report:

Yuriorkis Gamboa = Mike Tyson + Roy Jones + Floyd Mayweather. Gamboa, a 130-pounder, may not end up being as good as any of the three boxers mentioned in the headline there. But stylistically, he resembles an amalgamation of them — Tyson’s fearless charges, Jones’ dangling left hand and sneaky power, Mayweather’s quickness and defensive reflexes.

For more on the fight you should be watching tonight — we’ll watch it tomorrow morn on the DVR (perhaps even at 3 a.m. if we can’t wait) — check out these glowing testimonials:

Tim at Ring Report: Yuriorkis Gamboa Clips… See For Yourself
Tim from Ring Report (Again): If You Don’t Watch Yuriorkis Gamboa Saturday, Your Children Will Be Born With Hooves
Maxboxing: Gamboa: Next In Line
SC from Bad Left Hook: Saturday Fight Night
Sean from Ring Report: By The Way, Gamboa Is Not The Only One On the HBO Card Saturday
Fightwriter.com: Gamboa is hurtling along the fast track towards a championship and so far everyone has been swept away.

Picture Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Watch HBO Tonight, Tell Everyone How Great Gamboa is Tomorrow