PRIMM, NEV (May 18, 2008) — Undefeated contenders JAMES KIRKLAND, ALFREDO ANGULO and YURIORKIS GAMBOA turned in star-making performances last night in their HBO debuts on “Boxing After Dark” from Terrible’s Primm Valley Casino Resorts in Primm, Nev. Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Arena Box-Promotion, on a card appropriately called “Night of the Rising Stars, all three fighters scored impressive victories, solidifying their status as must-see attractions and the future of boxing..
“The stars shone bright on HBO last night,” said promoter Gary Shaw. “Kirkland, Angulo, and Gamboa are young, tough and just plain good. Everyone asked me the same thing to me last night…”when will they be fighting again?” The future of boxing is secure if we can give fighters like Kirkland, Angulo and Gamboa platforms to be seen in competitive fights. They are fight fan magnets.”
Kirkland (22-0, 19 KOs), from Austin, TX., opened the show with a :66-second first-round demolition of Eromosele Albert, from Miami, Fla., who dropped to 21-2 (10 KOs), ending his three-year, 11-bout winning streak. Kirkland, currently world-rated No. 4 by the World Boxing Association, No. 7 by the International Boxing Federation and No. 10 by the World Boxing Council, earned the vacant NABO junior middleweight title with his jaw-dropping performance.
Angulo (13-0, 10 KOs), a former Mexican Olympian from Mexicali, scored his ninth consecutive knockout victory, stopping top-10 contender Richard Gutierrez (24-2, 14 KOs), from Miami, Fla., in the fifth round with a polished two-fisted attack for the vacant WBO Intercontinental junior middleweight title. Angulo,who was knocked down in the fifth round, returned fire in the same round with a relentless barrage, which sent Gutierrez careening around the ring until referee Tony Weeks stopped it at 2:48 of round five.
Gamboa (10-0, 8 KOs), the 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist from Miami, Fla., continued his meteoric rise, headlining his first HBO show in only his 10th professional fight. Gamboa, world-rated No. 3 by the WBA and No. 4 by the WBC, added the vacant WBC International super featherweight title to his trophy case, outclassing the dangerous Darling Jimenez (23-3-2, 14 KOs), from the Bronx. Despite a fourth-round knockdown, Gamboa showed the poise and experience from an amateur career that has included over 450 fights to weather the storm and come roaring back for a 10-round unanimous decision victory on scores of 99-91, 97-92, 97-92