#ICYMI: Gilberto Gonzalez overcame early adversity to score a 3rd-round stoppage in the #LAFightClub main event. pic.twitter.com/fqzXv6clDj
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) July 3, 2015
Gilberto Gonzalez (26-3, 21 KOs) overcame a near stoppage and a knee injury to score a third-round TKO victory over Hevinson Herrera (17-11-1, 11 KOs) in the main event of the July 2 edition of LA Fight Club at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, California.
The scheduled 10-round Super Lightweight fight was televised by Fox Deportes and Fox Sports 2 in the U.S.
Gonzalez, of Mexico City, Mexico, boxed confidently in the opening round, landing punches as Herrera, a native of Barranquilla, Colombia, came forward.
Gonzalez, however, was badly hurt by a shot in Round 2 and was nearly stopped as he took a lot of punishment on the ropes.
However, after clinching Herrera for several seconds, Gonzalez came back to his senses and pushed Herrera to the ropes, where powerful shots to the head and body could be heard from ringside.
Herrera made it into the following round, but the fight was soon put at risk as Gonzalez tripped and fell onto the canvas. Evidently, Gonzalez had a previous injury on his knee–one could see tape wrapped around his knee to support him–and the trip exacerbated it.
Nevertheless, after a few seconds, Gonzalez was allowed to continue and landed another flurry that put the fight to an end in Round 3.
“They shouldn’t have stopped the fight, plain and simple,” said Herrera.
“If I made a mistake, it was that I wore myself out trying to finish him after I hurt him,” Herrera continued.
Naturally, Gonzalez disagreed.
“I thought it was a good stoppage. I was hitting him really cleanly and hitting him with a lot of shots,” said Gonzalez.
“Yeah, he landed some good shots, but in the end I had my hand raised.”
@DiegoDeLaHoya sends Estrella nearly out of the ring before another flurry ended the fight. @GoldenBoyBoxing pic.twitter.com/ZOA6l9mUlc
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) July 3, 2015
In the co-main event, Diego De La Hoya (11-0, 7 KOs) scored a fourth-round stoppage win over Jose Estrella (14-4-1, 6 KOs) in a scheduled 8-round Featherweight fight.
De La Hoya, of Mexicali, Mexico, showed a different side of his abilities in tonight’s fights, choosing to begin with a sharp jab and a proper use of distance before throwing combinations.
Estrella, of Tijuana, Mexico, was clearly outgunned as he was too slow to catch De La Hoya as he pulled out of range. Estrella landed better shots when both fighters worked on the inside, but De La Hoya adamantly stuck to his boxing game plan.
After right hands in Rounds 2 and 3 snapped Estrella’s head back, De La Hoya’s game plan paid off as he was able to land several body shots that eventually allows him to land an overhand right that sent Estrella nearly out of the ring.
Estrella was allowed to continue, but only to be stopped by a fight-finishing flurry a few seconds later.
There’s a lot of pressure to live up to the De La Hoya name,” said De La Hoya, who is the younger cousin of his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya.
“I’m glad that I could win by knockout and live up to the De La Hoya name,” said the young prospect.
¡Felicidades al Equipo Negrete por la victoria por decisión unánime! @Oscarnegrete5 pic.twitter.com/ixvtNCv9y4
— GoldenBoyPromotions (@GoldenBoyBoxing) July 3, 2015
In the televised opener, Featherweight Oscar Negrete (10-0, 3 KOs) scored an eight-round unanimous decision victory over a tough Ramiro Robles (12-4-1, 6 KOs).
Negrete, native of Columbia, got the best of several exchanges in which both fighters were hit were hard shots.
“His style didn’t surprise me but I have to give him respect,” said Negrete, who was often on his back foot as Robles came forward.
Negrete, however, was the much faster and stronger, landing punches before using the ring to land more on the native of Guanajuato, Mexico
Negrete won with scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73, though perhaps a few of those rounds could have a gone to iron-chinned Robles.
Negrete said that he hopes the fight showed the work he and his team have been doing in order to fight for a world title in the future.
Header photo via Golden Boy Promotions.
