YURIORKIS GAMBOA

updated July 06, 2009

At the age of 27, Yuriorkis is a two-year pro. The WBA interim featherweight world champion, he is a former international amateur standout—he was the 2004 Olympic and 2003 Pan American Games gold medalist at 112 pounds, a four-time Cuban national amateur champion, and the gold medalist in two international tournaments in Cuba, as well.

He won the WBA interim title in his last fight in April, 2009.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com: "The electrifying Gamboa, a 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist who later defected, looked excellent, totally shutting down a solid fighter with a lot of experience, including a technical draw and decision loss to [WBA featherweight world champion Chris] John in title bouts. He cut Venezuela's Rojas, over the right eye in the first round and dropped him in the fifth. Finally, referee Russell Mora called off the one-sided beating midway through the 10th round with Rojas' eye nearly closed. Gamboa, whose speed is ridiculous, showed better defense than he has in recent fights and more discipline. If he can continue improving in those areas, he'll be even scarier than he already is."

Yuriorkis is trained by Ismael Salas. Now 52 years old, he is a native of Guantanamo, Cuba, which is also Yuriorkis' hometown in the easternmost province of the country. He was hired as Yuriorkis' head trainer before the Al Seeger fight in July, 2008.

Salas said, "The most important thing in professional is mental, and I have seen good improvement in Gamboa. For some reason many Cubans, they're not ready for being in professional boxing. All Cuban boxing is amateur, the system, the background, they're always thinking the amateur way.

"Gamboa's improving a lot, he's much more professional thinking. He take care of himself much better. We're working to improve technically. We been doing many drills to help him get better."

Salas has an impressive and interesting background of his own. He said, "In Cuba, I was the head coach of the Guantanamo team, and from time to time I worked with the Cuban National team. Most of the fighters on the Cuban National team at that time were from Guantanamo, so I've been there many times. But my official job in Cuba was with the Guantanamo team. I was the head coach there for almost 15 years—1989 was my last year in Cuba.

"The best fighter I worked with was Felix Savon, the Olympic champion, but we have so many good fighters. At that time, I have Candelario Duvergel, I have Joel Casamayor, I have Rogelio Marcelo. Many good fighters came from my team. We have many National champions, South American champions, Pan American champions, World champions, Junior World champions, and Olympic champions. But what happened is, in 1984 and 1988 the Cuban team didn't go to the Olympics and many of my fighters were in that period, so I didn't have more Olympic champions at that time from Cuba.

"Gamboa is a special one. I tell you what—in boxing, you have some with a very good style who can move, who can punch, but sometimes they don't have the hard punch. Sometimes you can find hard puncher, but no good style. Gamboa is a combination of the good style and the hard punch. Gamboa is a real special one—he is one of the best I've trained."

Regarding his nickname, Yuriorkis said through an interpreter, "The Cuban sportscasters put that on me because I just go in like a cyclone, like the Tasmanian Devil, and tear everything that gets in my way."