Yuriorkis Gamboa-Chris John is Still The Plan, Says Arum
By Lem Satterfield
WBA featherweight "Super Champion in recess," Chris John, will try to remain the sport's longest-reigning belt-holder when he takes on countryman, Daud Yordan on April 17, at the Jakarta Trade Expo, in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum, there is still a plan to have WBA/IBF featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa challenge John (44-0-2, 22 knockouts) at the end of the year. The WBA, during last year's annual convention, ordered Gamboa and John to fight each other.
In December, Sampson Lewkowicz, the adviser to John and Yordan, collaborated with Arum, on a potential fall, 2011 clash between John and Gamboa (19-0, 15 KOs). Lewkowicz and Arum, who handles the 29-year-old Gamboa (pictured above, at right), agreed on the notion that each of the fighters take an interim bout before meeting in a more lucrative fight in the fall. Gamboa will face Jorge Solis (40-2-2, 29 KOs) on March 26.
"Sampson came to see me and he said, 'Look, the WBA organization is mandating that they fight right away. But I would prefer to give John another fight, because it's a very lucrative fight to make between him and Gamboa to Indonesia,'" said Arum.
"And I said, 'Sampson, that's fine with me. I'll give Gamboa a fight, which is the March 26 fight, and then, after those fights, let's do the big fight.' And he said, 'fine,' and we shook on it, and that's that," said Arum. "That's what happened, and that's what we intend to do. So Gamboa's next fight would be against Chris John if they both win their prior fights, and that would be in the fall."