Boxing: Former World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez to Return August 1
It was recently announced that fan favorite fighter Jhonny Gonzalez
is slated to return to action next month. Gonzalez is scheduled to
take on Japan’s Kazuki Hashimoto in a 12-round battle for a
regional title. The fight is to be held in Morelia Bicentennial
Auditorium in Michoacan, Mexico, and will be broadcast on Televisa
Deportes.
Gonzalez is looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to Gary Russell in March where he was stopped in the fourth round. That night, inside Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, the Mexico City resident lost his WBC featherweight title. It was the worst loss of his stellar career since Toshiaki Nishioka stopped him in the third frame in 2009.
Gonzalez captured the WBC featherweight title on two separate
occasions: first by knocking out Hozumi Hasegawa in 2011 and then
again in 2013 when he torched 2004 Olympian Abner Mares in the
first round. The powerful Gonzalez (57-9, 48 KOs) also captured the
WBO bantamweight title with a seventh-round TKO of the great
Ratanachai Sor Vorapin in 2005.
Throughout his stint as a prizefighter, Gonzalez has taken on the absolute best of his era. While he fell short against such luminaries as Israel Vazquez, Gerry Penalosa and Daniel Ponce de Leon, he holds wins over the likes of Marc “Too Sharp” Johnson, Jorge Arce, Irene Pacheco, Fernando Montiel and Elio Rojas.
Hashimoto, meanwhile, has won four in a row after dropping three straight. Hashimoto (11-4, seven KOs) has thus far fought exclusively in his native country and has yet to take on an opponent anywhere near Gonzalez’ caliber. It also should be noted that every time Hashimoto has tasted defeat, it has come via stoppage.
The main support bout of the evening is scheduled to be a bantamweight showdown between Julio “Pollito” Ceja (29-1, 26 KOs) and Devis Perez (30-13-4, 22 KOs).
Gonzalez is looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to Gary Russell in March where he was stopped in the fourth round. That night, inside Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, the Mexico City resident lost his WBC featherweight title. It was the worst loss of his stellar career since Toshiaki Nishioka stopped him in the third frame in 2009.
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Throughout his stint as a prizefighter, Gonzalez has taken on the absolute best of his era. While he fell short against such luminaries as Israel Vazquez, Gerry Penalosa and Daniel Ponce de Leon, he holds wins over the likes of Marc “Too Sharp” Johnson, Jorge Arce, Irene Pacheco, Fernando Montiel and Elio Rojas.
Hashimoto, meanwhile, has won four in a row after dropping three straight. Hashimoto (11-4, seven KOs) has thus far fought exclusively in his native country and has yet to take on an opponent anywhere near Gonzalez’ caliber. It also should be noted that every time Hashimoto has tasted defeat, it has come via stoppage.
The main support bout of the evening is scheduled to be a bantamweight showdown between Julio “Pollito” Ceja (29-1, 26 KOs) and Devis Perez (30-13-4, 22 KOs).
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