Boxing News Boxing News
Jhonny Gonzalez will put his NABO bantamweight crown on the line on this Thursday’s HBO Latino broadcast from the Diamond Desert Casino in Tuscon, Arizona when he meets the undefeated William Gonzalez. The twenty-three-year-old from Mexico City is riding a fifteen-bout win streak but will have to be in top form as his opponent has lost only once in twenty-one professional contests and is in the midst of a streak of his own. Nicaraguan southpaw William Gonzalez, 20-1 (15), has turned back twelve straight opponents and won the WBC Fecarbox super flyweight belt in his most recent ring appearance. Despite the impressive won – loss record, William Gonzalez has his work cut out for him. He’s never fought outside his home country, Panama or Costa Rica and may be overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the Diamond Desert Casino. If that’s not enough, the heavy hands of Jhonny Gonzalez just may do the trick.
The lanky Mexican, 29-4 (25), lost his first two contests as a professional before reeling off fourteen straight on the trot en route to winning the NABF crown against Ablohr Sowah in 2001. The hard-as-nails Ricardo Vargas stopped the victory parade when he handed Gonzalez two straight defeats.
Still only twenty-years-old at the time, Jhonny went back to the drawing board and picked up the WBC Continental Americas and Mexican titles before getting an opportunity to contend for the NABO strap. He made the most of it by stopping the vastly more experienced Alejandro Montiel over six rounds in April of last year. This February, Jhonny won a WBC eliminator by thoroughly outboxing Adonis Rivas in Hollywood, California and has since been successful in two more outings.
Jhonny Gonzalez will be favored to dispose of his Nicaraguan adversary and then go on to contend for the WBC belt, currently held by Japan’s Hozumi Hasegawa. Hasegawa is set to defend against Diego Morales in Yokohama on September 25, and if Jhonny Gonzalez can get past William Gonzalez, he should be on track to challenge the winner.
Contact Curtis McCormick at thomaspointrd@aol.com
