When on the last day of 2022 Yuriolkis Gamboa was involved in a traffic accident left by a deceased person, not a few imagined that the life of the prominent cuban boxer had entered a very turbulent period.
However, after the island’s judicial system freed the man from Guantanamo of charges in August 2024, they did not think that his return to Miamithe city where he resides, would take until a few days ago.
This Monday the information emerged that Gamboa had already left Cuba to reunite with his loved ones.
In a publication on its Facebook profile, the development company New Boxing Champions published several photos of Gamboa with the main director of that organization, Jesse Rodríguez, reports the sports portal Swing Completo.
“Welcome home again, champion! After more than three years held in Cuba, Yuriorkis Gamboa is back home in Miami!” the publication reads.
End of the year ordeal
The events that put Gamboa at the disposal of the courts occurred in Santiago de Cuba, after hitting a person with the car he was driving on a stretch of road with “zero lighting,” according to reports from the time.
It was also said that at the time of the events, the Guantanamo-born “Ciclón”, Olympic champion in Athens 2004, was not under the influence of alcohol or any other illegal substance.
Boxer Yuriorkis Gamboa involved in disastrous traffic accident in Cuba
After his Olympic coronation, Gamboa decided to change course and settled in Germany along with other Cuban champions such as light flyweight Yan Berthelemy and super heavyweight Odlanier Solís.
His debut in professional boxing occurred on April 27, 2007, in the German city of Hamburg, against the Armenian Alexander Manvelyan, whom he defeated by unanimous decision.
On the date of the accident, the fighter was on one of his regular visits to the island, where several of his close relatives still reside.
Freedom on pause
As a result of the incident, Gamboa’s passport was revoked and he was prohibited from leaving the country until a trial was held to assess his possible criminal responsibility for what happened.
In July 2024 it was learned that the bandleader had been absolved of responsibilities during the hearing held to determine his guilt.
Yuriolkis Gamboa acquitted after trial for traffic accident in Cuba
At that time, Gamboa expressed his desire to return to his residence “as soon as possible,” something that has taken more than a year, without the reasons for that delay having been revealed.
Uncertain future
When the fatal accident occurred, Gamboa, close to turning 43 years old, had been away from the ring for several months.
In April 2022 he had suffered his third consecutive setback, this one at the hands of the Mexican Isaac Pitbull Cruz, against whom he performed far from the level that allowed him to shine, both in his career as an amateur and on professional circuits.
With the time that has passed since then, it is very unlikely that he will be in a position to resume his professional career, although we will have to wait for a statement in that regard, since returning home puts him in a position to make that decision.
