By Jeff Aronow: IBO super middleweight champion Carlos Gongora (20-0, 15 KOs) is targeting WBA/WBC champion Canelo Alvarez next following his superb 8th round knockout victory over Christopher Pearson (17-3, 12 KOs) last Saturday night on the Demetrius Andrae vs. Liam Williams undercard at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Gongora, 31, slowly wore Pearson down with his pressure and power shots through the first seven rounds. In the eighth, the Ecuadorian southpaw Gongora landed a beautiful right hook off the jab that caused Pearson backup in pain and take a knee.
Pearson, whose left eye was badly swollen and in pain, stood back up and then thought better of it and went back down again. The fight was stopped at that point.
Even if Pearson had wanted to continue fighting, he was taking too much punishment, and he wasn’t going to be able to resume fighting back.
Gongora wants Canelo
“I’m really happy that I was able to achieve our goals, which was to win,” said Gongora to IFL TV on his victory over Pearson.
“It was me listening to my trainer round by round whatever advice he had for me on whatever I needed to do.
Whether it was moving or trying to stay quick on my feet and looking for the opportunities, thankfully, I got it to get a good shot.
My focus is always to go in there and execute the game plan, and that’s all I can really do. Everything else is out of my hands.
“I just go in there and try and win the fight, and try and win the rival that’s in front of me.
“Canelo would be the cherry on top of the cake, but anybody. We’re open to any opportunity that presents itself.
“Eat and sleep. I’m not someone that goes out to nightclubs. I don’t drink, so it’s a matter of discipline and staying focused,” said Gongora.
It’s still too early for Gongora to get a title shot against Canelo Alvarez, but he’s now letting him and the fans that he’s an emerging threat. Canelo is tied up now, unifying the 168-lb division.
Gongora will need to keep winning
In 2022, Gongora could be one of the options for Canelo if he can pick up a couple of significant wins before then. It helps that Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing promotes Gongora, and he holds the IBO belt.
That title isn’t one of the bigger ones, but it’s enough for Gongora to be recognized by the boxing public and the other fighters in the super middleweight division. A fight against David Benavidez would be ideal for Gongora if he could get it.
Last December, Gongora seemingly came out of nowhere to stop the highly respected Ali Akhmedov in the 12th round to claim the vacant IBO super middleweight title.