The stepping stones sometimes come in perplexing shapes.
It never seems to fail. The young, hot prospect with all of the talent in the world takes on an unfamiliar name, but one who he’s expected to beat in impressive fashion.
In the case of Super Welterweight contender Alex Rincon (7-0, 6 KOs), that’s exactly what he’s facing. In just a few more days, the 25-year-old Texas native will take on journeymen Sergio Lucio Gonzalez (6-7-1, 2 KOs) at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on January 2.
On paper, it looks to be nothing more than a walk in the park. Gonzalez, of course, has lost more fights than he’s won. Still, with that said, having faced five undefeated prospects in his career and defeated two of them, he’s become a speed bump that all prospects eventually must get through in order to get to the next level.
“He’s a tough guy for sure,” explained Rincon during a recent interview with Round By Round Boxing. “But I’m going to take care of business against him.”
While his record might be littered with losses, Gonzalez has only been stopped once throughout his nine-year career, something that Rincon is well aware of. But while Gonzalez has proven to have a granite-level chin, Rincon is anxious to prove that his fists are made of a material far stronger than that.
“I see it as a stoppage,” said Rincon. “It’ll take a little time to figure out his awkward style. Once I do and I land my hard shots, he won’t be able to take it so I see a stoppage about mid-rounds.”
For Rincon, envisioning the knockout is one thing, but simply stepping into the ring at all is something else entirely. The typical life of a boxing prospect is filled with a proliferation of fights. Yet, with COVID-19 continuing to leave a trail of chaos around the world, Rincon was forced to spend his entire 2020 on the sidelines.
The loss of time felt like a step back for the young Dallas product. But he won’t fulminate with anyone when discussing his lost year. Instead, he’ll simply look to turn it into a positive spin, while also sending out a cruel warning to his opponent.
“The time off gave me a chance to just spend time with my family and reset,” explained Rincon. “I’ve been in the gym the whole time and my opponent will find out quickly that there’s no ring rust. As soon as I see blood, I’m going for the kill.”
Statements in the sport of boxing are only made inside of the ring. So despite the theatrics and menacing tones, Rincon is fully aware that his words will ring hollow if he doesn’t deliver this Saturday night.
“I’m going to make a statement. I enjoyed the time off, but it’s time for me to go in there and do damage.”
