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Top Rank president Todd duBoef continues to say, with plenty of lines to read between, that they're going forward with the April 14 fight between Brandon Rios and Yuriorkis Gamboa, but it's boxing's worst-kept non-secret right now that Gamboa flat-out will not be in the ring on April 14 unless there is some incredible change, which there is not going to be any time soon.
From BoxingScene.com:
"I'm obligated to him for this fight. He has a commitment to me. He has a commitment to us, my partner and I, Arena Box. He has a commitment to HBO. He has a commitment to all of us - based on his representations. I'm not going to pull the plug. People are asking and I'm not going to do anything. That's the match we're with. If it changes, it will be done with the advice of counsel."
duBoef pushed the fight, sort of, at the Los Angeles press conference on Tuesday, as well, which Gamboa did not show up for, same as he had not shown up Monday in Miami.
Just in case anyone is still confused or thinks this fight might happen, we cannot make this clear enough: This is all promoterspeak, and Top Rank doing what they have to do here, and duBoef saying The Right Things, but this fight is not happening. Rios vs Gamboa is not going to happen on April 14.
Brandon Rios will fight on April 14, against someone. Plenty of fighters are willing to take the date, including Mercito Gesta, Mike Alvarado (scheduled for co-feature against Mauricio Herrera currently), and Richard Abril.
But he will not be fighting Yuriorkis Gamboa, who wants his contract restructured, which isn't going to happen, and whose team has stated clearly that he has no intention of fighting on April 14. Don't get yourself worked up. Expect a replacement opponent to be announced soon. This thing is dunzo.