Who will become the next Mayweather or Pacquiao?

By Eric Raskin

Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather

It is wonderfully symbolic that the last two fighters to whom Oscar De La Hoya lost, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, now occupy the position held for so long by "The Golden Boy." For years, De La Hoya was the crossover superstar who served as the face of boxing to the mainstream public. Mayweather and Pacquiao, together, have done the same in the three-plus years since Oscar's retirement from the ring.

The torch is not always passed so directly, but it is always passed eventually. Mayweather and Pacquiao will not rule boxing forever. Given Mayweather's periodic retirement announcements and Pacquiao's frequent talk of being just a handful of bouts from the end, their two-headed reign could actually end relatively soon. And who will be the face of the sport then? At the moment, eight young stars are showing the kind of potential needed to lead the next generation. Who do you think is likely to step up?

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Gamboa Stays Unbeaten

Photo: Ed Mullholland

It was the kind of fight where Yuriorkis Gamboa seemed to have one eye on his hard-hitting opponent, Daniel Ponce de Leon, and the other on his critics. In beating Ponce de Leon in a business-like 8^th round technical decision, Gamboa appeared to work harder to demonstrate he was the kind of complete fighter who could one day challenge a Juan Manuel Marquez or Manny Pacquiao, than he did to put on a show worthy of his reputation. READ MORE...

CompuBox Analysis: Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon

With the potential superfight with Juan Manuel Lopez temporarily off the table (thanks to Orlando Salido), Yuriorkis Gamboa turns his attention to another southpaw slugger in Mexican Daniel Ponce de Leon, who is seeking the ultimate rebound following his disputed decision loss to unbeaten prospect Adrien Broner. The styles indicate a high-octane slugfest but which man will prevail and why? Gamboa is an 8-1 favorite. The following CompuBox factors offer these clues:



Read more CompuBox analysis of Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon at HBO.com

Gamboa Makes Short Work Of Solis

In his first fight of 2011, Yuriorkis Gamboa found the distance, created distance, and closed the distance. He found the distance to land his devastatingly fast punches on Jorge Solis. He created distance between himself and ordinary opponents like Solis as well as between himself and the other Cuban pros with whom he is so frequently lumped in. And he closed some of the distance between himself and the sport's premier fighter, Manny Pacquiao, by wiping out Solis in half as many rounds as Pacquiao did four years (and four weight divisions) ago.

Photo: Will Hart Read more at HBO.com

CompuBox Factors: Early Assaults, A Peaking Solis and Pacquiao

While Manny Pacquiao continues to tear through the sport like a typhoon, some forward-looking fans are wondering from where boxing’s next fistic storm will emerge.

 One answer could be Yuriorkis Gamboa, who is appropriately nicknamed “El Ciclon de Guantanamo.” His speed, mobility, explosiveness and reachable chin sparks memories of Aaron Pryor’s heyday and Gamboa hopes to enhance his star when he defends his WBA/IBF featherweight belts against veteran Jorge Solis – arguably his best opponent yet.

CompuBox research has unearthed three factors that may influence the outcome.

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