WBC featherweight champion Elio Rojas has pulled out of his September 11 title unification bout with WBA belt-holder Yuriorkis Gamboa. Rojas cited hand and shoulder injuries for his withdrawal. Rojas hoped to go through with the fight but decided to pull out after his doctor recommended he be out for two months.
With Rojas out, Yuriorkis Gamboa will still have a unification bout on September 11 with IBF champion Orlando Salido. Fans would have preferred a bout with Celestino Caballero but Bob Arum, Gamboa’s promoter, shot that matchup down very quickly. While not ruling out a future Gamboa-Caballero bout, Arum said Caballero is too awkward to train for in such a short period of time.
Gamboa-Salido will be in Las Vegas and will accompany Anthony Peterson vs. Brandon Rios on an HBO doubleheader.
