by Rick Reeno

MGM Grand, Las Vegas - In a bout for the WBA interim-super featherweight title, Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16KOs) survived some unsteady moments to win a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Michael Farenas (34-4-4, 26KOs). The scores were 117-109, 118-108 and 117-108. It was Gamboa's first fight since last September's technical decision win over Daniel Ponce De Leon.

Before the fight started, rapper turned boxing promoter 50 Cent, who promotes Gamboa under his SMS Promotions banner, put on some theatrics with a mini-concert.

Gamboa started slow in the first round, but he let his hands explode in the second - after Farenas tagged him with a left. Near the end of the second, Gamboa dropped Farenas with a quick counter.

In the third, a cut opened up near the left eye of Farenas from a clash of heads. There was a cut near the right eye as well, but it wasn't clear how that cut opened up. Gamboa was tagging him well with hard punches.

During the fourth, Farenas landed some hard left hands that Gamboa took well. During the seventh round, a combination of punches by Gamboa put Farenas down for a second time. Gamboa went to finish, but Farenas stood his ground and traded punches off the ropes to rally back.

In the ninth round, Gamboa was once again trying to finish off Farenas with a barrage of punches, but Farenas countered with a huge left hook that put Gamboa down and he was very hurt. Gamboa was able to survive until the bell. Gamboa was not as reckless in the rounds that followed.

There may have been a clash of heads once again in the twelfth round, but this time a bad cut opened up above the left eye of Gamboa. Farenas likely won the final round, with Gamboa staying away and sitting on his lead.