Gamboa vs Ponce de Leon: Ponce de Leon Ready for the Test

Speaking with Lem Satterfield of The RING, Daniel Ponce de Leon says he feels he can pull the upset tonight against Yuriorkis Gamboa. I know what you're thinking: This is shocking.

"I'm sure that Gamboa believes that he is the best fighter of any other fighter that I will have faced. But I have faced some fighters that have speed," said de Leon.

"Look at my last fight with Broner, who is also a talented fighter. I'm confident just in the fact that Broner is a bigger, stronger and faster fighter and I feel that I did beat him."

... "So leading into this fight with Gamboa, I know what Gamboa is about, and I know that I'm going to have to stay on top of him."

Ponce de Leon (41-3, 34 KO) is an enormous underdog, and is being given very little chance. While diehard boxing fans might give him more of a shot than the big sportsbook lines are, I think most are giving him but a puncher's chance against the fast, dynamic, and explosive Gamboa, who looks to have too many skills and way too much speed for the Mexican brawler. Whether or not Broner prepares Ponce de Leon for Gamboa is questionable, but I do have no doubt that Ponce de Leon is coming to win. This isn't just a paycheck for him -- he's looking to do damage, as always.

Bad Left Hook will have live, round-by-round coverage at 10:30 p.m. tonight, with the fight airing on HBO.