Gamboa out to dethrone Mexican champ

All or nothing.

That’s how Filipino fighter Joma Gamboa described his bid to dethrone WBC (World Boxing Council) light flyweight champion Jorge Arce before an expected hostile crowd in Mexico on Saturday, saying he’ll go flat out for a knockout but will hang up his gloves if he loses.

"This is a big opportunity for Joma," said chief trainer Juanito Ablaca, who spoke in behalf of Gamboa at the launch of the fight at the Banamex Center. "Joma is 100 percent prepared. We have been training hard for two months."

Ablaca added that Joma likes Arce’s style because "he’s easy to hit, although he is a strong boxer." A former WBA interim strawweight champion, Gamboa is several inches taller than Arce, but reed-like when the builds of the two fighters are compared.

Gamboa, however, said he will retire if he loses.

And that’s what Arce has vowed to do, saying "I’m not indestructible but Gamboa can´t beat me at this time."

"I didn’t (just) come here to win. I came here to knock out Gamboa because I don’t like decision wins," said Arce, who had to shed off extra poundage to meet the 112-lb limit.