Photos: Gamboa, Juanma Win Bouts To Set Up 2019 Showdown

By Keith Idec, photos by David Martin Warr

Yuriorkis Gamboa said Saturday night that he’ll finally fight Juan Manuel Lopez in March or April now that they’ve both won lightweight tune-up fights in Miami. Cuba’s Gamboa was busier and better than Miguel Beltran Jr. throughout their 10-round bout, the main event Saturday night at Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo.

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The 35-year-old Lopez (36-6, 32 KOs) and the 36-year-old Gamboa (28-2, 17 KOs) were on a collision course in 2010. Orlando Salido, whom Gamboa beat by unanimous decision in September 2010, ruined their bout by upsetting Lopez by eighth-round technical knockout in April 2011.

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Mexico’s Salido also stopped Lopez in the 10th round of their rematch in March 2012.

Gamboa-Lopez would’ve been broadcast by HBO or Showtime had it taken place when both boxers were in their primes. Now it’ll likely headline an independent pay-per-view show, similar to the card that was offered Saturday night for $24.95 in HD.

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Before Gamboa nearly shut out Beltran (33-6, 22 KOs, 1 NC) on Saturday night (100-89, 99-90, 98-91), Lopez dropped Argentina’s Cristian Mino four times – twice in the third round, once in the fourth and once in the sixth.

Mino (19-3, 17 KOs) also had a point deducted for holding in the 10th round. He survived to the final bell, however, and lost a unanimous decision.

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