Will Jonathan Gonzalez Unify with Hiroto Kyoguchi Following Win Over Barriga?
On Friday, June 24, at the Osceola Heritage Park, in Kissimmee, Florida, WBO junior flyweight champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (26-3-1-1, 14KOs) retained his title with a unanimous decision win over Mark Anthony Barriga (11-2, 2KOs).
In a battle of southpaws, the first four rounds of this title fight were competitive. Barriga, relatively unknown, pressed the action early. However, he often only threw one or two punches at a time. Gonzalez, on the other hand, mixed his strategy up as he played the role of boxing counterpuncher and a come-forward pressure fighter.
As the fight got into the middle and late rounds, Bomba would start to assert his dominance. While he was never able to hurt Barriga, he was able to outwork him when it mattered the most. He continued to mix aggression with defensive movement and excellent counterpunches. He was specifically effective with the hard right hook to the head and a left hook to the body.
WE NEED UNIFICATION!
With the first successful defense of his WBO title, the possibilities of a unification bout with fellow champions in his division are there. With the IBF title vacant, that leaves WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji (19-1, 11KOs) and WBA Super light flyweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (16-0, 11KOs).
Prior to his first title defense, Gonzalez revealed that a unification bout with Kyoguchi was something he wanted, if it made financial sense for him. Let’s hope that both fighters’ representatives can get together and negotiate a deal for these two champions to meet.
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By: Jerrell Fletcher
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