By James Blears

Two of Mexico’s finest little big men who are both current world champions are going to going to war on Saturday, at the Home Depot Center in Carson City LA- and you can expect them to throw everything …including the kitchen sink.

Audacious WBO Super Flyweight Champion Fernando Montiel 32-1-1 with 24 knockouts, is aiming to go one higher,  and grab the WBO Bantamweight crown off Jhonny Gonzalez.

There’s only three pounds in weight between the two divisions. But Jhonny who’s record is an impressive 32-4 with 28 knockouts, has all the tangible physical advantages.

He’s more than three inches taller than Fernando. With an extraordinary reach of 71 inches for his category- he outstretches Fernando by a staggering six inches! At 24 years old, Jhonny is also three years younger,  and has stopped his last eighteen opponents.

Fernando is from Los Mochis in Sinaloa far up to the North, and Jhonny is a Chilago- or Mexico City born and bred. That’s been the source of great bitterness and rivalry, jibes, jabs plus crosses, between two considerably more famous Mexican fighters- namely: Erik Morales, who’s from Tijuana right on Mexico’s northern frontier, bordering on to the United States, and Marco Antonio Barrera who hails from from Mexico City.

But Jhonny and Fernando have been nothing but politeness, radiating mutual admiration and respect, in the lead up to this potential classic. It’ll also be the battle of the Dads. Fernando is trained by his Pop Manuel and Jhonny’s Dad Miguel has the same job.

One of Jhonny’s other trainers Enrique Garcia who’s been working hard on lateral movement and conditioning, which includes daily altitude running in the Desert of Lions above Mexico City, explains that Jhonny will win this fight by keeping it at distance, picking his shots and then unloading sharp chopping combinations to fell the smaller man.

Jhonny who’s talented, ruthlessly dedicated  and as modest as a breath of fresh air, trains in a park flanked by two busy main roads, at Eduardo Molina y Oriente, Delegacion Gustavo A Madero, near his home in the South of Mexico City. He followed  Coach Garcia’s sage advice and  game plan to a tee, in six of the eight rounds of sparring against rugged sparring partner Jesus Santillan who’s a featherweight, but looks more like a lightweight. Then in the last two rounds, Jhonny let rip, initially retreating into the ropes, to bounce off them with a cute looping left hook and a fearsome right uppercut.

Fernando’s no slouch, but Jhonny’s far too big and strong for him.

Jhonny’s on a big KO roll, and although I see Fernando’s skill and champion’s heart might get him as far as six, it won’t go on for much longer then that.

In a prolonged contest involving a talented bigger guy against a plucky good smaller guy,  there are occasional turn ups. But the record books tend to bear out the more likely outcome.

Nevertheless, to paraphrase Betty Davis: “Fasten you belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night!”