…The Grind is counting down to the weekend…please come fast…
* WBA Featherweight champ, Yuriorkis Gamboa, and WBC Featherweight champ, Elio Rojas, have agreed to terms for a September 11th title unification bout on HBO. Gamboa was originally scheduled to face IBF 126 lb. champ, Orlando Salido, but the fight had to be scrapped due to an unhealed cut suffered by Salido in his title-winning effort against Cristobal Cruz.
Rojas has hired Devon Alexander, Kevin Cunningham, to work with him for this fight. He also represents a significant step up in class from Gamboa’s original opponent, Salido.
* On the same Gamboa-Rojas card, expect the show to be stolen by the chief undercard support of Anthony Peterson vs. Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios; Two outstanding, undefeated prospects battling for their first shot at a world title. The winner goes on to fight WBA Lightweight champ, Miguel Acosta.
* David Tua is the WBO’s #2 contender and, as such, will soon be in line for a world title shot against Wladimir Klitschko. Tua’s trainer, Roger Bloodworth, relishes the position and believes in hi fighter’s ability to finally win the big one:
“David is a more confident fighter today,” Bloodworth said. “He’s a very experienced fighter who is now moving a lot defensively and is no longer a one-handed fighter. He still has that one big hand, but he’s punching well with both hands and, surprisingly, even throwing a good jab.
“The heavyweight division is wide open but, at the same time, closed. There are top contenders like David but these champions seem to pick-and-choose their opponents. We’d love to fight (David) Haye or the Klitschkos. The Klitschkos brothers (Wladimir and Viltali) are both big and have talent, but they also have Achilles heals, and David can take advantage of that. They (Hayemaker Promotions and K2 Promotions) all have Cedric’s (Tua’s promoter Cedric Kushner, Gotham Boxing) phone number but nobody’s called. The only way to get a world title shot, it seems, is to become the mandatory challenger.”
Personally, a Tua-Wlad match-up wouldn’t be half bad and would produce more buzz and excitement than any of Wlad’s other recent bouts; Tua vs. Haye ends with Haye on the mat…believe it.
Tua will headline a pay-per-view card from Atlantic City on July 17th against Monte Barrett.
* Marcos Maidana will return to action in August in a “stay sharp” fight. He’s then programmed to return by the end of the year, against one of the players at 140. He will be in attendance at the upcoming Timothy Bradley-Carlos Luis Abregu bout in California on the 17th of this month.
* Finally returning to action on July 26th is WBA Featherweight champ, Chris John. (Yes, there are two WBA Featherweight champs…John, the “Super,” and Gamboa, the “Regular.” And, yes, i just threw up a little in my mouth.) John will be defending against Argentine, Fernando Saucedo in Jakarta, Indonesia.
So, yeah, it’s back to beating up on journeymen in the jungles of Indonesia for John.
Saucedo hasn’t faced anyone of any quality at all since being completely shutout way back in 2004 by Acelino Freitas. He hasn’t even fought anything above an 8-rounder since 2007.
…More Grind Mañana…
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