When super featherweight sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (9-0, 8 kos) steps into the right to fight Darling Jimenez (23-2-2, 14 kos) for the vacant WBC international championship in Primm, Nevada tonight it is not only the HBO debut for the spectacular 2004 Olympic gold medallist from Cuba but also the first HBO show for Gamboa’s promoter Ahmet Öner and his ARENA Box-Promotion..
“This is what every promoter in the world is working for”, states Öner. “Everybody wants to be on HBO – I made it in only one and a half years. If Gamboa beats Jimenez – which I am pretty confident he will – this might be the beginning of a long and successful relationship. The future starts now!”
At HBO’s fighter’s meeting Öner grabbed the chance to talk to ring legend and TV-expert Lennox Lewis who will be ringside tomorrow night along with Bob Papa and Max Kellerman.
“You got some very exciting prospects”, said Lewis. “I can’t wait to see Gamboa and I also want to take a look at your heavyweight Solis. I hear he’s the next big think. Those exceptional talents are the future of the sport.”
Originally Solis was planned to give his US debut on the undercard of Saturday’s show in Primm. “Unfortunately he didn’t get his visa”, explains Öner. “But we are preparing our next US show for June 27th. Hopefully we can present all three 2004 Olympic gold medallists – Gamboa, Solis and Yan Barthelemy – on the same card then.”
With 128.5 lbs. super featherweight phenomenon Yuriorkis Gamboa showed himself in excellent condition for his shot at the vacant WBC international championship at today’s weigh-in at Terrible’s Primm Valley Casino Resort. His opponent Darling Jimenez weighed in at 131 lbs.
“I wouldn’t care if Jimenez weighed 150 pounds”, stated Gamboa. “I’ll beat him anyways.”
Alfredo Angulo (154 lbs.) will go into his fight for the vacant WBO intercontinental junior middleweight title slightly heavier than his opponent Richard Gutierrez (152 lbs.).
The third part of the giant HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader is for a vacant title as well. James Kirkland (154 lbs.) will face Eromosele Albert (152.5 lbs.) for the NABO junior middleweight championship.
The “Night of the Rising Stars” at Terrible’s Primm Valley Casino Resorts is a joint-venture co-promotion of ARENA and Gary Shaw Productions, LLC. It will be broadcasted on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) and features a giant tripleheader including Gamboa vs. Jimenez and the world class junior middleweight bouts James Kirkland (21-0, 18 kos) vs. Eromosele Albert (21-1, 10 kos) and Alfredo Angulo (12-0, 9 kos) vs. Richard Gutierrez (24-1, 14 kos).