By Jake Donovan
Six fights. That’s how long Jhonny Gonzalez expected it to take in order to fully acclimate himself to the super bantamweight division.
It’s thanks to that six-fight plan that the Mexican boxer-puncher is now in position to capture a title in second weight class. That opportunity comes this weekend, when super bantamweight titlist Toshiaki Nishioka (Tokyo, Japan, 33-4-3, 20KO) travels to Gonzalez’ homeland of Mexico in their title fight main event (Saturday, Arena Monterey, Monterey, MX).
Gonzalez (40-6, 34KO) didn’t need six fights to remove the bad taste from his mouth after his last loss, a shocking one-punch body shot knockout against Gerry Penalosa in August 2007. The comeback tour began just three months later, to avoid dwelling on defeat for very long.
The first trip back into the win column didn’t come with ease. Gonzalez struggled in spots and was forced to settle for a workmanlike decision over Jose Angel Beranza.
Win today, look good the next time. He’s done just that, scoring five straight knockouts heading into this weekend. The five bouts have lasted a combined 14 rounds, though not to suggest that it is knockout or bust. Patience and defense have become new wrinkles in Gonzalez’ game, transforming from puncher-boxer to boxer-puncher before our very eyes.
It’s similar to the run he began to enjoy late in 2005, beginning with his title winning effort over Ratanachai Sor Vorapin just months after peeling himself off of the canvas in surviving a three-round multi-knockdown war with William Gonzalez.
Follow up wins over a faded Mark Johnson and a much fresher Fernando Montiel bolstered his status as one of the best bantamweights in the world. For six rounds in his September 2006 classic with Israel Vazquez, he was well on his way to establishing himself as the best super bantamweight in the world. Vazquez was decked twice and on the wrong end of a shockingly one-sided fight to that point.
Then disaster struck. Vazquez rallied back like gangbusters, dropping Gonzalez in the seventh then again in the 10th. The latter knockdown came after absorbing manager punishment for four consecutive rounds. The late Oscar Suarez, serving as his head trainer at the time, realized his fighter was running on empty and informed the referee that his kid was done.
The loss wasn’t a major setback – it came in what was widely regarded as the best fight to take place in North America in 2006 and against one of the world’s best fighters. There was always his bantamweight reign, though that would come to a close with the loss to Penalosa less than a year later.
That’s when a new career path needed to be determined, if Gonzalez was to remain relevant at the top level.
That’s when the six fight plan was introduced.
Far too often, a fallen fighter fails to put aside his ego and recognize the steps necessary to work his way back into contention. Nothing but big fights often becomes the course of action, while either remaining idle or seeking the absolute safest route to a potential cash-out fight.
Team Gonzalez decided it was best to crawl then walk before he once again runs with the sport’s best. Five of his six comeback fights aired on Telefutura, with a true tune-up mixed in between. The level of competition progressed with each fight. None of the opponents were spectacular, but each served a purpose.
Beranza was brought in to give him some quality rounds. Gonzalez’ knockout power was a given; what he needed was a solid win over a durable opponent, which is exactly what he received against the journeyman.
The next few fights were designed to make Gonzalez look spectacular while keeping him busy enough to make his move by 2009. His top option – a rematch with Israel Vazquez – was off the table once Vazquez was medically forced to sit out longer than he desired. The unplanned inactivity resulted in an alphabet title being stripped. While Gonzalez wasn’t in direct contention for the belt, he was certainly within reach.
In came Leivi Brea and Reynaldo Lopez, to better assist Gonzalez in dealing with southpaws. He handled both in spectacular fashion, Brea getting dusted in a round while Lopez absorbing a tremendous beating before forced to take a ten count in the fourth round of their Telefutura main event last November.
For Gonzalez, it was his sixth fight in just 53 weeks and he was ready to conquer the world.
There’s certainly plenty to choose from in a super bantamweight division stuffed to the gills with talent. Even with Vazquez on the sidelines and Rafael Marquez just now returning to the ring – in this weekend’s co-feature bout, in fact – there still remains lucrative options Gonzalez could’ve pursued.
Undefeated Juan Manuel Lopez is rapidly emerging as one of the superstars of the future, especially on the strength of a nine-round beatdown of Gonzalez’ last conqueror in Penalosa. Six-foot Panamanian beanpole Celestino Caballero has received his share of shine on Showtime in recent fights, including an impressive stoppage win of Steve Molitor in their unification match late last year.
Instead, Team Gonzalez accepts perhaps the riskiest option of them all in taking in Takioshi Nishioka. Not because the Japanese southpaw is the best, though it’s certainly open to debate.
What makes it exceptionally risky is the fact that it’s his least lucrative option. Even with Promociones de Pueblo’s generous purse bid of $425,000, Nishioka is entitled to an 80-20 split since he’s traveling to the challenger’s home country, which leaves Gonzalez with an $85,000 payday before deductions.
There’s also the issue of Nishioka being the least known at least on this side of the world, as well as riding an impressive five-year, 10-fight win streak.
The only fighter to get the best of Nishioka in the past ten years is the legendary Veeraphol Sahaprom, who is 2-0-2 in their four fight series spanning 45 months. He’s 33-2-1 against the rest of the world over the course of his 15-year career, though this will be just the fourth fight outside of his native Japan.
Not that Nishioka minds leaving home – his previous three road trips have all ended in knockout, lasting a total of less than seven combined rounds.
Gonzalez doesn’t have the greatest chin in the world, but it’d be foolish of Nishioka to believe his Mexican challenger will go away quietly. On the opposite side, hometown advantage means little to Gonzalez, even in boasting a record of 19-2 (17KO) in Mexico.
In fact, there’s no fight he takes for granted. It’s a lesson he learned right from his pro debut, losing his first and second pro fights before coming back strong to rattle off 14 straight, all before the age of 21.
Now 27 years old but already creeping past his optimal prime, there’s no fight he takes for granted, least off a major title fight against a dangerous southpaw like Nishioka.
What brought him here was the six-fight planned he mapped out after the Penalosa loss, but the next 12 rounds or less will reveal what awaits Jhonny Gonzalez at his final destination.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.