By Chris Williams: Newly crowned WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Garcia (55-8, 47 KO’s) revitalized his career last Saturday night with a spectacular 1st round knockout win over Abner Mares (26-1-1, 14 KO’s) at the StubHub Center, in Carson, California, USA. Gonzalez is now talking about wanting to fight one of the following fighters according to Fightnews.com: Mikey Garcia, Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux for his next fight.
Gonzalez said to Fightnews “I hope to have opportunities to face Nonito Donaire, Mikey Garcia and Guillermo Rigondeaux.”
Getting Top Rank to agree to put Donaire in with a puncher like Jhonny Gonzalez may prove to be all but impossible. I’m not sure that’s a fight that can be made at this point, especially after the way that Gonzalez destroyed Mares. If they couldn’t or wouldn’t make a fight between Donaire and Mares in the past, what makes you think Top Rank would take a chance of putting Donaire in with Gonzalez? I can’t see it happening in this lifetime.
Donaire makes too much money for his fights on HBO, and Gonzalez could spoil the party by handing Donaire his second straight loss. On top of that, Gonzalez is a big guy at 5’6 ½”, and he looked as big as Donaire did in his recent fight against Rigondeaux.
If Donaire faces Gonzalez, there probably wouldn’t be any size advantage for Donaire. Both guys would essentially be about the same height and weight. That alone might be enough for the fight not to be made, because Donaire wouldn’t have any kind of weight or power advantage. Gonzalez is stronger than him, and the same size.
Top Rank might let Rigondeaux take the fight because there’s less to lose if he gets beaten, because he doesn’t have a huge fan base. But there’s no way they’ll let Mikey Garcia take the fight with Gonzalez. He’s someone that they’re hoping to turn into a big star, and Gonzalez could ruin the party by knocking Mikey out cold with one of his big left hooks.
Mikey looked uncomfortable in his fight with Orlando Salido when he started getting hit back by him in the 7th and 8th rounds. Against Gonzalez, Mikey would be getting hit harder than he’s ever been hit before, and who knows what kind of injury that could pop up that would cause his corner to stop the fight when the going gets tough.
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