Washington Looks to Impress Tomorrow Night

By Boxing News - 10/12/2015 - Comments

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by Michael Montero: Tuesday night on Fox Sports 1, undefeated American heavyweight Gerald Washington (16-0, 11KO) faces the toughest challenge of his young career against power punching Amir Mansour (22-1, 16KO). The exciting heavyweight matchup headlines a PBC card from the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington. Very few are expecting this ten round bout to go the distance.

They call Washington “El Gallo Negro”, Spanish for “the black rooster”. The nickname pays homage to his Mexican mother and his African-American father. The California native not only brings a unique background with him into the ring, but a unique road travelled. At 6’6” 250 pounds, Washington has the physique and appearance of a professional football player, and that’s no coincidence. He played tight end and defensive end at the University of Southern California before going on to a brief NFL career, making the practice squads for the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. Before serving in the United States Navy, Washington also briefly lived in Mexico with his mother’s family as a kid. It all culminates in a very marketable American heavyweight who looks to take a big step forward in his career against Mansour.

Having fought five times a year for the first few years of his career (2012-2014), Tuesday’s bout will be only the second for Washington in 2015. On top of that, it will be seven months to the day of his last fight, which represents his longest layoff to date. “It hasn’t always been easy, we wanted to fight” said trainer John Pullman, “but it (the layoff) gave us a chance to work on some things, to get better.” Amir Mansour is not only the most accomplished and experienced opponent Washington is yet to face, but he’s also an explosive southpaw and punches with power. But Pullman is confident his fighter is prepared, although it was difficult to get the proper sparring. “Finding a left-handed heavyweight is like finding a unicorn” Pullman joked, “but we were able to fly in a couple of really good sparring partners and we are ready.”

In regards to how he believes the fight will play out, El Gallo Negro didn’t hold back. “It’s gonna be a knockout” said Washington, “I’m gonna be the boss in there, he’s gonna fight my fight.” Many feel that of all the heavyweight prospects on Al Haymon’s PBC stable, Gerald Washington has the most potential. When asked about the current crop of American heavyweight prospects, especially those who came to boxing from other sports, Washington explained what separates him from the pack. “Those guys get drawn into a brawl” said the 33 year old, “I fight smart”. Washington made his pro debut at 30 years of age but his team sees that an asset rather than a detriment. “Gerald doesn’t take punishment, he’s mature, he works hard, he’s always in shape” said Pullman, “he’s 33 but he looks 23.”

Most boxing analysts expect Mansour to come out fast Tuesday night; the question is how does Washington respond to the early surge? Can he make adjustments and wear his opponent down? Can he remain disciplined if the fight gets rough, and possibly dirty, as the rounds progress? And finally, can Washington become the first man to stop the intimidating Amir Mansour? It’s a very interesting fight, and the type of ‘step up’ matchmaking that fans want to see.

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