SAN ANTONIO – It’s a new opportunity in every sense of the word, yet Johan Gonzalez feels like he has been here before.
An unlikely title shot landed in the lap of the Las Vegas-based Venezuelan Gonzalez, who will challenge WBA 160lbs titlist Erislandy Lara, 29-3-3 (17 KOs). Gonzalez, 36-4 (34 KOs), was called up on short notice after unified IBF and WBO 160lbs titlist Janibek Alimhanuly, 17-0 (12 KOs), returned an adverse finding for accelerated levels of the banned substance meldonium.
Rather than a three-belt unification, Lara is instead presented with a hungry, first-time challenger. Moreover, that same opponent is coming off the biggest win of his career – an upset split decision over former unified 154lbs titlist Jarrett Hurd, the last fighter to hang a loss on Lara.
“I’m here to win, not just to show up,” Gonzalez told BoxingScene on Wednesday. “I already beat one [former] world champion, and this time I’m ready to take that world title.”
Lara-Gonzalez is part of a four-fight PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view event. The scheduled 12-round bout takes place Saturday from Frost Bank Arena, home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
Gonzalez’s availability wasn’t by chance. The 34-year-old gatekeeper was secured as a standby opponent in the event of any fallout from the several scheduled bouts in or around the 160lbs division.
He enters this weekend just nine months removed from the victory over Hurd on March 1 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
That fight – which took place at 154lbs, where Gonzalez regularly campaigns – was designed to line up a big opportunity for Hurd with a win. Instead, it was Gonzalez who breathed new life into his career after suffering knockout defeats to Jesus Ramos Jnr (who will face Shane Mosley Jnr on Saturday’s show) and then-unbeaten Yoenis Tellez in a span of three fights.
“I trained hard and stayed disciplined for that fight with Jarrett Hurd, and you saw the results,” Gonzalez pointed out. “This is no different here. I trained hard and stayed in shape for this show, even if I didn’t specifically train to fight Lara.
“I admit, I was excited when they told me about the chance to fight for the WBA world title. I’m still coming down to earth, but on Saturday, I’m ready to replace that emotion with the new feeling of becoming world champion.”
In Lara, Gonzalez will face the sport’s oldest current major titleholder, though certainly not the most active one. Saturday will end a 15-month ring absence for Lara, who has not fought since a ninth-round stoppage of former two-division titlist Danny Garcia in September 2024 in Las Vegas.
Gonzalez has been considerably busier in the ring by comparison, though with mixed results. The eight-plus-year pro is 5-3 in his past eight starts but will enter the ring for the fourth time in just over 16 months.
There will always be a place in the sport for an old-school boxer like Gonzalez. The promise now is that his next place will be on the title stage among the best middleweights in the world.
“I’m gonna put on a show for everyone,” vowed Gonzalez. “I’m not gonna let anyone down. That’s the most important thing to me. I’m here and I’m here to win. I’m here to shock the world.”
