Jonathan Gonzalez Looking To Power His Way Through Sergiy Dzinziruk

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 HBO Boxing After Dark is scheduled to have a very interesting matchup come September 1, 2012. Puerto Rican contender, Jonathan Gonzalez (15-0, 13 KOs), the undefeated heavy handed puncher has a prominent task at hand in facing the former WBO Jr. Middleweight champion, Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) This will be no simple challenge, this will be no minor feat for the unproven Gonzalez, this is a leap up in competition for the member of “Team Puerto Rico”.

Factor in that he will be only the first member of the team to attempt to transition from prospect, skipping over contender status, straight to top contender a feat in which another top Puerto Rican prospect, Luis Cruz failed; in his attempt at greatness in losing a majority decision to Juan Carlos Burgos, back in November 11, 2011. “Luis Cruz is Luis Cruz and Jonathan is Jonathan. Luis Cruz has his style, I have my style. We are two different people and Luis Cruz had his opportunity and that fighter [Juan Carlos Burgos] everyone seen in the fight; that guy isn’t even half of what Luis Cruz is. I don’t know what affected Luis Cruz but that guy can’t beat Luis Cruz ever and I will be well prepared and I will come 100% and I will win and I will be victorious that night,” Gonzalez told ThaBoxingVoice.com

Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk is the former WBO Jr. Middleweight champion having only one loss to what many consider the best Middleweight in the world today in Sergio “La Maravilla” Martinez in his attempt to move up in weight to face the pound 4 pound best in the Middleweight division. There’s no shame in that loss, none what’s so ever, Dzinziruk has been able to remain undefeated at Junior Middleweight and has complied some fairly notable wins verses the better opposition between the two men that are to
meet in Verona, New York on the 1st of September.

Dzinziruk wins most of his fight by controlling the pace with his most effective weapon the jab; staying on the outside peppering his opponents with the jab. Opponents also have to factor in the awkwardness of a south paw and occasional straight left hand.  Gonzalez stated, “In respect to Dzinziruk, he’s a good boxer, we think we’re ready, I’m prepared for whatever type of fight it turns out to be. We have no worries; they offered us Dzinziruk and we accepted the fight, he has a tremendous jab, but he can’t win 12 rounds with a jab.”

I tend to agree with Gonzalez, Dzinziruk can’t win with just a jab, a case proven in the Martinez fight, but Gonzalez is no Martinez. There is one similarity, that being, the power and his heavy hands mixed with a great deal of pressure sprinkled with will, hunger, and determination. That sounds like a recipe of brutal punishment for Dzinziruk that doesn’t handle pressure entirely well. “That’s something that comes natural to me. I’ve been strong ever since the amateurs and in the amateur I’ve gotten stoppages as well. Of course in the amateurs, the stoppages were more technical and I still got the knockout but now as a professional, I don’t come out looking for the knockout. I come out looking to cause damage to my opponent. You’ve seen that I always come out to impose pressure but now I take thing a little more relaxed. I’m boxing, using my speed, fast hands,  tied in with hard punching equals more damage,” said Gonzalez

Power can’t be the only weapon Gonzalez pulls from his arsenal on fight night. Many are skeptical to see the way Gonzalez comes into the ring on fight night as most were left with a look of shock upon our face when he entered the ring his last time out. “My last fight, the problem was that I was negligent in the nutrition, diet, and training. Thank god nothing went wrong during the fight and I got the victory because of the talent that I have,” Gonzalez added.

Sergiy Dzinziruk has never lost a bout at 154 pounds. At Jr. Middleweight, Dzinziruk defended his WBO world title seven times; something he’s extremely proud of. “It’s a fact, that I am unbeatable at Jr. Middleweight,” Dzinziruk said.

Yet Gonzalez isn’t threatened and up for the challenge, having this to say, “I know for a fighter like Dzinziruk, we have to prepare 100%. He’s a fighter that has one loss at a 160 pound division. He’s
never lost at 154 pound division and I’m preparing like never before. I’ve been training vigorously. I’m gaining speed and momentum. I’m moving like when I was an amateur, the strategy will be to move and box him the first few rounds; to make him desperate because I have the boxing ability. There will come a moment in the fight when I will stop to exchange and trade shots with him to measure his strength.”

This maybe a perfect time for a young hungry fighter to confront Dzinziruk as he’s coming off 19 month layoff come fight night. “On one hand its good for [Dzinziruk] him to have taken a long layoff because he’s coming off a knockout lost [Dzinziruk TKO 8 in last fight].  On the other hand, the inactivity can cause him to be off on his timing, which is something I’ll be able to capitalize off.”

Gonzalez, learning from his mistakes before they cost him, is training vigorously.”I’m training 2 and 3 times a day,” added Gonzalez bringing in sparring partners to mimic the jab of Dzinziruk. “I’ve sparred 12, 4 minute rounds which a lot more than a normal fight.”

While he may be reluctant to admit that the pressure is on, the pressure is on. There are numerous other fighters who are far more accomplished as professionals that have yet to reach the pinnacle that is HBO. With just 15 fights and no real names of note he should be. “Honestly I don’t feel any type of pressure because in Puerto Rico, there are many prospects and out of all of those prospects, 3 or 4 of us will be champions. I will be one of them because I will become world champion,” added Gonzalez.

One can only imagine what were to be next for a young fighter from the island of Puerto Rico that has produce great champions such as Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. Those are some pretty big shoes to try and fill, and may be a bit much to ask of a prospect; but true greatness must begin with an opportunity and with that the chance to prove what’s inside of you, that only you know and we have yet to see. “Truthfully I’m concentrated on this fight. I’m taking things extremely serious for this fight, this is my opportunity.  I know once I beat Dzinziruk, better things will come and I’ll be a step closer to a world title.”

A win on September for Jonathan Gonzalez will blast him into the top ten in a division where every name is red hot. The 154 pound division is the new 147 pound division with the Mayweather’s and Paquiao’s of the world on their way out, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the new super star that everyone wants a piece of. No matter how you mix the names in this division up, you’re sure to come up with an all action fight and a perfect home for a hard-punching knockout artist, on the cusp of being the new Puerto Rican sensation. “This fight opens the doors to be in the mix of big names because he [Dzinziruk] is a big name in boxing, to come out victorious, I’ll will be mentioned with the top names of the division and I will be prepared for whichever name they give me. The first name they mention that’s the one we are taking, we don’t pick fighters; the name given is the fighter I will fight.”

 

 

For Full Audio Of This Interview Click Here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thaboxingvoiceradioshow/2012/08/09/ronnie-shields-thomas-dulorme-jonathan-gonzalez