“But jaws dropped in awe turned to yawns as Gamboa squandered much of his early success. Last year alone, Gamboa was linked to the Biogenesis PED scandal and charged with domestic violence for striking his wife. None of this would have mattered, mind you, had Gamboa delivered between the ropes, but it has been years since Gamboa did much of that. After bailing on a fight with Brandon Rios in 2012—a fight Gamboa specifically asked for—Gamboa fought just twice in the past two years, winning dull decisions against forgettable opposition that did little but raise red flags about his ability to excel above featherweight. Desperate to regain his lost momentum, Gamboa targeted Crawford, the latest protagonist in the Top Rank/HBO narrative. Crawford, a strapping switch-hitter with good speed and power was more than willing to oblige.”

Read Storm Chasing: Terence Crawford TKO9 Yuriorkis Gamboa on The Cruelest Sport.