David Gonzalez
He is a name from the past and only serious boxing fans and/or aficionados will recall him but at one time David Gonzalez was a solid amateur —some even called him a five star prospect. He first started out as a pro in Houston in 1985 (he later moved to San Jose) and eventually beat many fine boxers including Tracy Sneed, Anthony Jones, “Saigon” Skipper Kelp,. Cassius Clay Horne, a prime and undefeated Dwayne Swift—and had a controversial draw with Ernie Landeros. However, when it came to training, it was rumored that he was undisciplined, often struggling to make weight. Moreover, his personal life was one filled with tragedy and death (albeit accidental), both before and after he came to the south Bay area. In any event, his final record was a solid 40-6-1 with his only title bid, a ninth round TKO loss to the great Terry Norris in September 1995.
Rico Velasquez (1988)
"Velazquez was too gutty, too brave for his own good. He couldn't hit Gonzales hard enough to keep him off of him." Jack Fiske of the San Francisco Chronicle,
On August 19, 1988, and in what looked to be a possible mismatch, the skilled David (17-1-1) fought Rico Velasquez (16-4) for the USA California State lightweight crown at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California, his home. There were rumors that Rico, the defending California lightweight champion, came into the fight with two slightly blackened eyes indicative of a broken nose. Whatever the case, Rico was mugged, mauled and mangled in a one-sided beat-down that --for all practical purposes--left him dead in the ring in the eighth round in a fight that, according to ring side observers, could well have been stopped much earlier. Velasquez would officially be declared dead two days later, after life-support measures were removed. Dr. Jeff Gutman, who helped care for Velazquez after a two-hour operation, said the injury was caused by a sharp, sudden motion and may have resulted from a single blow.
1992
When he lost a razor thin SD to Anthony Stephens in 1992, Gonzalez’s record was 29-1-1-and he had won the USA California State lightweight title as well as the vacant NABF welterweight title in 1991. However, back on May 28, 1990, while he was the WBC’s sixth ranked lightweight, he was shot in the back outside a Los Angeles lounge. After he recovered, he resumed his winning ways until the Stephens loss. He then beat tough, exciting, and undefeated Skipper Kelp in Phoenix in 1992 and ran off five more wins until losing to slick Kenny Gould (25-2) in 1993, and for the first time, it appeared his great potential may have been topped off and that he was now on the wrong side of the Bell-shaped curve.
Robert Wangila (1994)
"There will be a burial without professional riches, without accolades, without anything he [Robert Wangila] came to the United States six years ago to acquire."—LA Times. July 29, 1994.
After three more wins, he fought 1988 Olympic Gold Medallist from Kenya Robert “Kidd Gender” Wangila at the Aladdin in Las Vegas on July 22, 1994. After a brutal beatdown in which David did a "Marciano" on Robert by pounding every visible spot, the fight was finally stopped by Referee Joe Cortez in the ninth round. Wangila, in an all too familiar and scary scenario, then collapsed in the dressing room and soon fell into a dreaded coma. Doctors at the University Medical Centre later said that he had a blood clot on the right side of his head. He was operated on but passed away 36 hours after the match. Though he never fulfilled his professional promise, Robert remains a legend in Kenyan boxing circles and his legacy lives on in the Robert Wangila Memorial Boxing Cup.
As for David Gonzalez, he retired after a comeback of sorts in May 1997 when he lost to Danny Garcia (27-16) in Costa Rica. Reportedly, he has now moved on with his life, but one can only conjecture as to his thoughts and memories.
“Those of us who don't box -- even if we watch -- cannot ever understand it. But as we hurl ourselves down the freeway like suicidal maniacs, poison ourselves with tainted water, tainted air and edibles of questionable health value and drive ourselves to mental and physical exhaustion in pursuit of financial goals, suddenly, the dream of a $22 million payday doesn't seem so foolish after all.” Reprinted from San Jose Metro, December 1988 http://ift.tt/1SaeFDk
He is a name from the past and only serious boxing fans and/or aficionados will recall him but at one time David Gonzalez was a solid amateur —some even called him a five star prospect. He first started out as a pro in Houston in 1985 (he later moved to San Jose) and eventually beat many fine boxers including Tracy Sneed, Anthony Jones, “Saigon” Skipper Kelp,. Cassius Clay Horne, a prime and undefeated Dwayne Swift—and had a controversial draw with Ernie Landeros. However, when it came to training, it was rumored that he was undisciplined, often struggling to make weight. Moreover, his personal life was one filled with tragedy and death (albeit accidental), both before and after he came to the south Bay area. In any event, his final record was a solid 40-6-1 with his only title bid, a ninth round TKO loss to the great Terry Norris in September 1995.
Rico Velasquez (1988)
"Velazquez was too gutty, too brave for his own good. He couldn't hit Gonzales hard enough to keep him off of him." Jack Fiske of the San Francisco Chronicle,
On August 19, 1988, and in what looked to be a possible mismatch, the skilled David (17-1-1) fought Rico Velasquez (16-4) for the USA California State lightweight crown at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California, his home. There were rumors that Rico, the defending California lightweight champion, came into the fight with two slightly blackened eyes indicative of a broken nose. Whatever the case, Rico was mugged, mauled and mangled in a one-sided beat-down that --for all practical purposes--left him dead in the ring in the eighth round in a fight that, according to ring side observers, could well have been stopped much earlier. Velasquez would officially be declared dead two days later, after life-support measures were removed. Dr. Jeff Gutman, who helped care for Velazquez after a two-hour operation, said the injury was caused by a sharp, sudden motion and may have resulted from a single blow.
1992
When he lost a razor thin SD to Anthony Stephens in 1992, Gonzalez’s record was 29-1-1-and he had won the USA California State lightweight title as well as the vacant NABF welterweight title in 1991. However, back on May 28, 1990, while he was the WBC’s sixth ranked lightweight, he was shot in the back outside a Los Angeles lounge. After he recovered, he resumed his winning ways until the Stephens loss. He then beat tough, exciting, and undefeated Skipper Kelp in Phoenix in 1992 and ran off five more wins until losing to slick Kenny Gould (25-2) in 1993, and for the first time, it appeared his great potential may have been topped off and that he was now on the wrong side of the Bell-shaped curve.
Robert Wangila (1994)
"There will be a burial without professional riches, without accolades, without anything he [Robert Wangila] came to the United States six years ago to acquire."—LA Times. July 29, 1994.
After three more wins, he fought 1988 Olympic Gold Medallist from Kenya Robert “Kidd Gender” Wangila at the Aladdin in Las Vegas on July 22, 1994. After a brutal beatdown in which David did a "Marciano" on Robert by pounding every visible spot, the fight was finally stopped by Referee Joe Cortez in the ninth round. Wangila, in an all too familiar and scary scenario, then collapsed in the dressing room and soon fell into a dreaded coma. Doctors at the University Medical Centre later said that he had a blood clot on the right side of his head. He was operated on but passed away 36 hours after the match. Though he never fulfilled his professional promise, Robert remains a legend in Kenyan boxing circles and his legacy lives on in the Robert Wangila Memorial Boxing Cup.
As for David Gonzalez, he retired after a comeback of sorts in May 1997 when he lost to Danny Garcia (27-16) in Costa Rica. Reportedly, he has now moved on with his life, but one can only conjecture as to his thoughts and memories.
“Those of us who don't box -- even if we watch -- cannot ever understand it. But as we hurl ourselves down the freeway like suicidal maniacs, poison ourselves with tainted water, tainted air and edibles of questionable health value and drive ourselves to mental and physical exhaustion in pursuit of financial goals, suddenly, the dream of a $22 million payday doesn't seem so foolish after all.” Reprinted from San Jose Metro, December 1988 http://ift.tt/1SaeFDk
David Gonzalez --From a book in draft stage titled: "The Dark Side of Boxing"
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق