Gamboa defeats game but overmatched Filipino fighter Farenas

Yuriorkis Gamboa, a former Olympic Gold medalist, was just too much for Filipino Michael Farenas, claiming the interim WBA super featherweight title at his expense, Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Gamboa dropped Farenas twice in the match en route to a unanimous decision victory but he had to pick himself from the canvass to win his return fight. The three judges at ringside submitted scores of 117-109, 118-108, and 117-108, but the wide scores did not show just how good the fight was.

Even though he was coming off a 14-month layoff, Gamboa did not look rusty to begin the fight. He boxed beautifully in the first two rounds to dictate the tempo, which was a preview of how the other rounds would go.

Gamboa floored Farenas in the second round with a right hand just as the Filipino was moving in. Farenas managed to beat the count and he even pressured the slick Cuban for the rest of the round.

The Cuban floored Farenas again seventh round, this time of the flash variety, as the Filipino’s glove touched the canvass after getting hit with a right straight.

In the ninth round, Gamboa pressed on the action and it looked like he was ready to finish the fight, but Farenas caught him with a hellacious left hand that dropped Gamboa. It was a punch that most fighters would not get up from, but Gamboa gathered his wits and managed to beat the count and continue the bout.

The Cuban recovered after the round break and went on to win the rest of the rounds for a comfortable unanimous decision.

Even with the loss, it is a given that Farenas made more fans for his effort. He knew going into the fight that he was supposed to lose, but he tried his best from start to finish to score an upset. Bleeding from both eyebrows and unable to see from his right eye, Farenas raised his hands after the final bell, showing that he gave it his all.

The count is now 2-2 for Philippine fighters, and it is up to Manny Pacquiao to break the count and win against Juan Manuel Marquez. - AMD, GMA News