Boxing Result: Gamboa, Gomez, Oral, Bakhtov Win In Germany

ByHermann Helmut

There was a big fight card last night at Sporthalle in Hamburg, Germany with IBF featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa leading the way with a victory over previously undefeated Argentine hard man Jonathan Victor Barros.

Early on, Gamboa looked to be having his way as he largely has in all of his pro fights so far but defensive minded Barros avoided getting caught flush by the fast-handed champion.

By the middle rounds, Barros started to fight back but that also gave Gamboa the opportunity to produce a knockdown in the eighth. Barros, who had never faced a world class opponent prior to this occasion, surprisingly managed to survive Gamboa’s furious follow-up assault.

After such an expenditure of energy, Gamboa’s activity level dropped off and Barros tried to wrest control of the bout but was getting countered effectively by the champion.

The 12th and final frame saw both men go for broke and trade with everything they had left until the final bell.

Gamboa won all three cards, 118-109, 118-109 and 116-11, improving to 18-0 (15), but was forced to go 12 rounds for the first time in his career.

Barros, 28-1-1 (16), loses for the first time in his career while managing to deliver a very tough performance against one of the best featherweights on the planet.

The undercard saw ex-WBC cruiserweight kingpin Juan Carlos Gomez, 45-2 (36), come back from his loss to WBC heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko a year ago by knocking out Alexey Mazkin, 13-5-2 (3), in the third to annex the WBA International heavyweight crown.

There was a heavyweight rematch as Denis Bahktov, 33-5 (22), once again KO’d prospect Steffen Kretschmann, 14-2 (13), this time in nine rounds for the PABA title.

Former middleweight world title challenger Mahir Oral, 28-2-2 (11), won his third bout on the bounce by stopping Juan Camilo Novoa, 14-5-1 (12), in the tenth for the WBA International middleweight belt.

Mexican slugger Javier Castro, 23-2 (19), knocked out Augusto Pinilla, 14-3-1 (7), in the second to win the WBA international lightweight strap.