Interview Dated 2006

Middleweight Jesus "El Martillo" Gonzales

Jesus Gonzales is one of the top rising young middleweights in the U.S. The 21-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native has a pro record of 17-1 with 11 KO's, and is promoted by Top Rank Boxing. He recently began training with Kenny Weldon at Weldon's World Class Boxing Academy in Pasadena.

HBS - Your nickname is "El Martillo". What does that mean?

JG - That means "The Hammer".

HBS - How'd you come up with that?

JG - They gave me that nickname when I was nine years old. My dad's nickname was "The Hammer" so they started calling me "Little Hammer", Martillo, and it stuck with me.

HBS - So you're from Phoenix?

JG - Yes, born and raised and I'm here in Houston my third week. I like it.

HBS - How'd you get started boxing?

JG - I started fighting when I was seven years old. My dad was a boxer and I was telling all the kids at school I was a fighter so I had to do it to call myself a boxer.

HBS - Was your dad a pro?

JG - Yeah he fought one pro fight. He was 1-0 with one knockout.

HBS - Tell us a little bit about your amateur career.

JG - I won the Junior Olympics two times. I was outstanding boxer in the Junior Olympics two times, in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, at 17 years old, I went to the U.S. Championships in the Men's Division. I won it there, the outstanding fighter, the U.S. Challenge, I represented the U.S.A. in a four-nation tournament in France. I fought all over. I fought in France, England, Germany and Cuba for the International World Championship where I won a bronze medal.

HBS - Then your turned pro three years ago. Tell us about your first pro fight.

JG - My first pro fight went 56 seconds. Shawn Wilson his name was and I just started throwing, really, I was so excited because the crowd it's different from the amateurs and the fight, you couldn't even blink, you'd miss it. It was quick.

HBS - So you consider yourself a boxer puncher.

JG - Yes, a boxer-puncher. I like to box, I like to be slick and move but if I catch you I can knock you out.

HBS - So you've been doing this for essentially your whole life but what is it you enjoy about the sport?

JG - I like to learn more about what I do. I feel that I'm very good and it gives you good character when you're a boxer. You have a different attitude than most people. People don't understand you and it's kind of cool, you know, they look at you like, "Whoa, what's this guy talking about?" You're talking about boxing, you're advanced when it comes to combat.

HBS - If you like learning you've obviously hooked up with the right guy. You're with Kenny Weldon. How did that come about?

JG - I've known Kenny Weldon since the amateurs. He knew me since the Junior Olympics and he's seen me come up all the way to the U.S Championships and me and him always got along. I always liked what he had to say and when he was in Phoenix training Sergei (Liakhovich, W.B.O. Heavyweight Champion), for the fight, I seen him there and I saw he does a lot of things that I like. Fighting off the back foot, he was really smart and I had to ask him if he'd be my trainer.

HBS - So he's taken you on and tell us a little bit about what it's been like working with Kenny and what you've learned from him in.

JG - It's been a month and I've learned so much. I'm sharper than I've ever been and I love training with Kenny. It's the best move I've made in three years as a pro.

HBS - You're 17-1. Tell us about some of your other fights, maybe one you would consider to be one of your most satisfying.

JG - I haven't had one yet. Every one's a win but I don't think I'll be satisfied until I win the world title.

HBS - You're with Top Rank Boxing. How long ago did that happen?

JG - They signed me as soon as I turned professional. They were the ones that talked me into turning pro.

HBS - Then you lost your last fight. What happened there?

JG - It was like everything was going wrong. When I went into the fight, all the cartilage in my left hand was torn. I have so many excuses for the fight but I'm not the kind to make excuses but in the eighth round I just couldn't take no more with the hand and they stopped the fight. I was winning the fight, it's just my hand was too much, the pain was excruciating.

HBS - So that's what it was, your hand was hurting so you decided to discontinue?

JG - Yeah, I couldn't continue with my bad hand I didn't want to mess up my career. I need my hand.

HBS - Any skills or techniques you've been working on lately?

JG - I've been working on my balance. My balance is a big part of what I've been doing and trying to make things more fluid. I've been working on putting everything in a longer rhythm because that's what Kenny wants me to do. Everything I do is in short rhythm. It's been good I like everything I've been doing.

HBS - How close are you to being able to fight against the top middleweights, top ten contender or for a championship?

JG - I think in two fights I'll be ready to fight the top guys. I'm really confident. I feel strong. I'm sharper than ever. I've looked at the division and I think I could beat those guys.

HBS - Anybody in particular you'd like to fight?

JG - Anyone. It don't matter.

October 2007

Jesus Gonzales is heading toward the apex of his career, punishing his last five opponents and now with a record of 22-1 and 12 KO's, he is preparing to make a name for himself on boxing's world stage. The native of Phoenix, Arizona moved to the Houston area earlier this year, to train under Kenny Weldon at the World Class Boxing Gym in Pasadena.

HBS - It's been about a year since we last spoke and at the time you were recovering from a hand injury. You've had several fights since then and I understand you might be signing with Golden Boy Promotions.

JG - Right now we're just talking and we'll see what's going to happen. I feel good. I feel better than ever. My last fight (against the 7-23 Anthony Greeley on June 9th in Pasadena) I thought I looked alright. I knocked the guy out in the first round with a body shot so right now I think I'm sharper than I've ever been and I'm ready to fight for a world title.

HBS - Prior to that you had a good ten round fight over in Phoenix (against the 20-16-2 Marcos "The Terminator" Primera of Venezuela). Tell us about that fight.

JG - The fight was a perfect boxing lesson. I mean I didn't get hit but maybe one time the whole fight. I beat the guy, after the fight the guy was peeing blood. I mean I beat the guy pretty bad. I won on all the judges' scorecards. One judge gave him a mercy round in the last round because he tried his hardest, you know, but he was taking a beating. It was a good boxing lesson. I looked good.

HBS - Tell us about how you handled the fight.

JG - Well this guy was a tricky guy. He knocked out Curtis Stevens (currently 17-2, 12 KO's) and he was pretty tricky. He was a strong fighter. He wouldn't do too much. He would stand there and make you feel like he's not going to do nothing then out of nowhere he'll just come out and try to throw bombs. He would change it up on you, you don't know what he's going to do. But what I did is I stayed back, popped him with the jab and I tore him up from the outside all day. That was the whole fight, I just tore him up from the outside and I beat the guy pretty much almost to death, man. (laughs) I know that his next fight the commission didn't approve him because didn't pass his MRI. He took a beating in that one fight.

HBS - You've been training with Kenny for more than a year now and give us an idea of what it is that you've learned or how you've changed as a fighter in the past year.

JG - Kenny's brought me back to the basics and he's showed me a lot of things that I had to really get back to. You know I had to get back to the basics. I learned this when you start boxing, and them you start going on to more advanced things and then you get bored and you start doing stupid things. That's what I was doing for a long time and he brought me back to the best part of me, my basics, my fundamentals and now I'm stronger than ever. My hands are strong and I feel great.

HBS - Describe then some of those basics and fundamentals that you've gone back to.

JG - You keep your weight on the back leg. You shift your weight on every punch. You turn your shoulders over. You keep your hands high. You keep them really high. He showed me lots of feints. He showed me to always be in position to punch. When you move, make 'em miss, make 'em pay. Things like that and I'm doing it really good.

HBS - So you figure you're ready for the title, you're in that top echelon of fighters right now?

JG - I see these guys coming up, Kelly Pavlik I knocked out in the gym. Pretty Boy Floyd, I sparred him and I got the best of him. These guys man, I watched these guys coming up. I'm watching all these guys come and me being in the same position because of where I was for awhile and now I'm a free man and now I can get my career on the ball.