More at stake for Joma - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

For World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight champion Joma Gamboa, it won’t be only his title on the line when he faces challenger Keitaro Hoshino of Japan in Yokohama tonight. Also at stake is his claim to a Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) award.

If Gamboa wins, he will likely share pro boxing honors with World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight ruler Malcolm Tunacao. There is also the possibility of being named the PSA’s Athlete of the Year, depending on how convincing the victory is.

So expect Gamboa to go all out to repulse Hoshino.

Gamboa’s trainer Juanito Ablaca, however, isn’t too confident of a big win. Before leaving for Japan, Ablaca confided to The STAR that Hoshino has a style that can frustrate Gamboa. The Japanese stylist is a hit-and-run artist, much like former WBA titleholder Noel Arambulet who used his fancy dancing to outpoint Gamboa in their first meeting in Caracas last year.

Ablaca said Hoshino used that style to avoid a slugfest with Filipino brawler Ernesto Rubillar and beat him, not once but twice, on points. Gamboa’s style resemble Rubillar’s as both like to duke it out toe-to-toe, something Hoshino is allergic to.

But if Gamboa survives Hoshino, Ablaca said his next three challengers – all Japanese – are pushovers. That’s why a lot is riding on tonight’s fight.

Gamboa will be paid $50,000 for his first defense of the crown he won on a unanimous decision over Arambulet in a rematch in Tokyo last August. Arambulet was stripped of the title a day before the fight for failing to make the 105-pound weight. The fight went on as scheduled – if Arambulet won, the title would remain vacant; if Gamboa won, he would be the new champion. And so Gamboa had his sweet revenge.

Hoshino, 31, has a not-too-impressive 20-6 record, with only five knockouts. He has lost four inside the distance, once a second round stoppage by Filipino Allan Butlig in 1996. Hoshino doesn’t seem durable but is an elusive target.

Hoshino is a former Japanese national champion. He’s won his last eight outings, two by knockout. He took a 17-month layoff and didn’t see action at all last year before returning to outpoint Keisuke Yokoyama last February. Then, three months later, he broke into the world ratings after decisioning Oriental titleholder Hiroshi Nakajima in a non-title bout. The win over Nakajima earned for Hoshino the crack at Gamboa’s throne.

Among Hoshino’s victims were Filipinos Rolando Tadle, David Franco, and Rubillar. The setback to Butlig was his last in a career that started in 1988.

Gamboa, 27, has studied Hoshino’s style carefully in tapes of his previous fights. It’s no secret what he plans to do in the ring. Gamboa will crowd Hoshino and cut the ring off to force a face-to-face confrontation. The Filipino hates to stick and run. He’d rather go for broke and leave his fate to his fists.

Gamboa’s record is 29-5-1 with 20 knockouts. Three of his five losses were in world title fights – he bowed to Saman Sorjaturong in a WBC lightflyweight championship bout in 1996, to Pichit Chor Siriwat in a WBA junior flyweight championship match last year, and to Arambulet. The other losses were inflicted by Jerry Pahayhay (later reversed) and Antonio Perez in Las Vegas.

It was a long climb to the top for Gamboa and he’s not about to waste the effort. What’s going for Gamboa is his unbeaten streak in Japan. He’s figured in six fights so far in Japan and won them all – over Chul Woo Lee, Toru Shimabukuro, Ryo Kurushima, Satoru Abe, Atsushi Sai, and Arambulet. Another thing going for Gamboa is Japanese matchmaker Joe Koizumi is on his side. Gamboa, in fact, is managed by Koizumi who will be in his corner against Hoshino.

Gamboa, no doubt, will look for a knockout. He’s scored only one abbreviated win in his last seven fights so he’s itching for it. Gamboa’s most spectacular win was a first round stoppage of Carlos Murillo in Caracas three years ago. If he can repeat that feat tonight, he’ll be a cinch for a PSA award. That’s definitely be on his mind when he battles Hoshino in what could be biggest fight of his career.