“I didn’t compete in the Olympic trials because I turned pro before that, in 2007,” recalls Gonzales. “I was at 178 [pounds] at the time, and I had already beaten Chris Downs (the eventual light heavyweight Olympic representative) in the past, so fighting in Beijing would’ve been a good opportunity.”
Perhaps USA Boxing could have used the talents of Gonzales, since this American team would make history as the first one to ever come home from the Olympics without at least a silver medal.
“It was a little disappointing seeing what happened in the Olympics,” Gonzales continued. “But I don’t look back. Everything happens for a reason. If I did go, who knows what would have happened? I’m happy with where I’m at now, so I’m just looking forward at this point in my professional career.”
We will never know if his life would have been any different, had he been given the opportunity to compete against the best amateurs the rest of the world had to offer. Beyond the hypothetical variables that boggle the everyday fight fan’s mind, we have fact. In this case, Gonzales decided to turn pro at age 22 and three years later, his record so far speaks for itself; 10-0 with one no-contest, with all but one of his victories coming by knockout. In describing his own style, Gonzales proudly incorporates elements from his heritage.
“I’m half-Mexican and half-African-American and I’d like to think I bring the best of both worlds. While I bring the athleticism, speed, and coordination associated with African-American fighters, my last name definitely carries itself when talking about the other aspects of my style. I’ve knocked out a few guys with a left hook to the body [as is customary with many Mexican fighters]. When necessary, I’ll come forward and keep my hands up. Basically, my style is whatever it takes to get the job done. I’ll box if I have to. In my last fight (a second round TKO over Dumont Welliver), the guy I fought was moving a lot, so I was patient, stalked him, broke him down, and got him out of there.”
This Friday, as Gonzales takes on his first eight-rounder against rugged trial horse Darnell Boone, 16-14-2 (6), he hopes that securing an 11th victory in impressive fashion will act as a steppingstone to bigger and better things in 2010.
Gold Rush…
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Gonzales’ family bounced around Northern California cities like Hayward, Union City, Tracy, and Livermore for high school before moving to the state’s capital city when he was eighteen. Almost instantly, the possibility of trying the sport that always intrigued him from a distance entered his mind.
“Growing up, I played football at an early age,” Gonzales recalled. “I played basketball and baseball, too, but I didn’t have an opportunity to try boxing because there weren’t any gyms where I lived until I moved to “Sac[ramento]” six years ago. I was actually ready to put out my money to Prime Time Gym there until my uncle told me about Capitol. I started working out there and the rest is history.”
Enter trainer Seifudeen Mateen. After breezing through an introductory class at the Capitol Boxing Gym on 3701 Stockton Boulevard, Gonzales stepped in the ring to spar a more experienced fighter. Regardless, the novice’s performance impressed Mateen, who knew the capabilities of Brandon’s sparmate—it was the trainer’s son-in-law. Gonzales needed little convincing that he had chosen the right sport.
“[Mateen] is a good amateur coach,” said Gonzales. “The basics and fundamentals are things I learned from him in the gym. Everything was about working off the jab, and those are things I’ve taken over with me to my pro career.”
In only three years with Mateen, Gonzales reeled off a 123-1 record, highlighted by multiple Golden Gloves titles, a berth in the finals of Open Division 2005 U.S. National Championships, and a spot on the U.S. National team at light heavyweight. Gonzales summarized his amateur experience as opening new doors both from a career, as well as cultural perspective.
“It was great coming in as a new face under the radar and, all of a sudden, having a showing like that [at the U.S. Championships] and being the guy everyone was gunning for served as great motivation. It was a great experience being a part of the national team, dealing with training camp, competing in an international competition, traveling in and out of the country, meeting new people and new cultures.”
One of the highlights of Brandon’s time in the amateurs was his first trip ever to an airport three years ago, at the age of 23.
“The first time I ever flew on a plane was because of boxing. I took silver at a tournament in Puerto Rico in 2007. I had always wanted to check it out since middle school, so boxing was able to provide me with that opportunity.”
As pivotal a place Capitol now represented for guiding Brandon’s life in a new direction from an athletic standpoint, it would soon become even more momentous to him, for reasons not relegated to the sport. While training for a tournament one day, he met Janelle Runnels, an amateur boxer herself, who was competing at bantamweight and featherweight.
Gonzales remembers his initial encounters with his future wife like it was yesterday. “I had been training at Capitol for awhile when I first met her. When you have a female in the gym, you have a lot of guys that try to approach her.”
So would Brandon include himself in that group?
“I actually played it cool for awhile,” he laughed. “We were always on the same scene, going to the same places for amateur competitions, so there was already a relationship there. She actually approached me and set it off. Things started to build from there.”
Five years later, the happy couple has raised two children, ten-year-old Seneca, and Ayahna, who turned four in January. From the onset of their marriage, the necessity to provide for a new family was a driving factor behind Gonzales giving up his amateur career.
“Having a family definitely factored into my decision turning pro. I was married, at the time, with a kid on the way. There were financial issues and, at that time in my life, it was the best decision.”
The life of a fighter’s wife isn’t easy and, in Janelle’s case, she found herself selflessly putting aside her own amateur career for a time to hold down the family household. However, as of late, she has resumed her career, winning the open division of the Northern California Golden Gloves at 125 pounds, two weeks ago. This news brings a smile to her husband, because it turns out the Gonzaleses might add that Olympic gold medal to their collection after all.
“Things are starting to take off for the both of us now,” said Gonzales, noticeably relieved. “The plan is for her to go for a shot at the 2012 Olympics, since women’s boxing will be included. I tell her not to do it for me, but I’m definitely living through her. With Ray Woods as her trainer, that’s the plan.”
With that said, besides sharing a trophy case, husband and wife also have the same cornerman. Both Janelle and Brandon get their instructions from “Sactown’s” Woods, better known as the stepfather and trainer of the late super featherweight/lightweight world champion Diego “Chico” Corrales.
“Ray’s always been in my corner, but after my third fight, I thought it would benefit my career to let Ray take over as head trainer,” said Gonzales. “You’ve seen the kind of puncher Diego was, and I already had the boxing and combination punching coming from the amateurs. I think the thing he’s added most to my game is being more of a professional, sitting down and placing my shots and making sure that every one counts. Just like the amateurs, I’m throwing fast combinations, but now I’m putting more power behind them.”
Speaking of his pristine reputation as an amateur, despite his accolades, Gonzales went unsigned for his first eight pro victories. At this point, his current team began to take shape. First, he welcomed the addition of his uncle, Kelvin Fountano, who acted tirelessly as his manager to find a promotional deal- a reprieve for Brandon- because, up to that point, he was negotiating his own fights.
“I had no manager,” Gonzales said in disbelief. “A lot of my fights were under a local promoter [in Sacramento], and their scheduling was kind of inconsistent. I tried reaching out to other people, but I found out the hard way [that] it’s hard negotiating for yourself. We were hitting a lot of road bumps and after my eighth fight, [Kelvin] took over as my manager. I also added an attorney, Kevin Collins, to handle the legal aspect of my contracts.”
It was only a matter of time until the promotional void would be filled. As a crippling body shot punctuated the last of those eight fights- a 152-seconds-into-the-first-round knockout win over Ray Craig in front of Gonzales’ hometown fans last October- Terry and Tommy Lane of Reno-based Let’s Get It On Promotions had seen enough to bring him into their stable.
“Brandon was on our radar for a few years before we signed him,” noted Tommy. “We knew about his extensive accomplishments in the amateurs. We loved his style. He is very fast and explosive, and goes for the finish when he has his guy hurt. The fans love him. To say the least, we are extremely pleased with everything.”
Brandon credits the Lane Brothers for helping him focus tightly on what happens inside the ring. “It’s definitely a relief not having to worry about when you’re going to fight. Terry and Tommy follow up really quick and they take care of business. They throw good shows and there have been very little road bumps with them in my corner.”
Since signing with Let’s Get It On, Gonzales has been true to his “Flawless” nickname, scoring two successive stoppages in a span of two months while enjoying a relative home-ring advantage at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.
“It’s great to be so close to Sacramento,” Gonzales said, grinning. “Reno’s a home away from home. A lot of people drive up here too, from Sacramento and the Bay Area, even in a snowstorm. It’s great to see those people before and after the fight.”
In carving out a loyal fan base and continuing his winning ways from top amateur to rising pro prospect, Gonzales only enhanced his sterling reputation in Northern California boxing circles, which subsequently paid dividends. When a WBA super middleweight world champion unexpectedly showed up in nearby Roseville last winter to train for a title defense, he didn’t have to look too far for a sparring partner.
“Mikkel Kessler came to train at a kickboxing gym in Roseville,” Gonzales recounted. “Anytime you can get sparring at that level, it’s a great experience.”
“The Viking Warrior” wasn’t the only super middleweight Gonzales would spar that month.
Double Duty…
In preparation for his “Super Six” showdown with Andre Ward, Kessler and his team searched for a nearby city to hold training camp. Only a two-hour drive from the fight venue (Oakland’s Oracle Arena), Roseville became their destination of choice. Almost 5,400 miles away from Copenhagen, the Dane arrived at Kickboxing, Inc., looking to log some rounds of sparring with anyone ready and able. Gonzales was a willing volunteer- and he didn’t disappoint.
“Kessler had that European style,” mused Gonzales. “I thought he was more of a puncher than a boxer. Overall, it was great getting different looks from world-class fighters. I was fortunate enough to get work with both Mikkel and Andre Ward. Both of them bring different styles. ”
Wait a minute. BOTH Mikkel and Andre Ward? Surely he was talking about his experience as Ward’s sparmate in past camps, wasn’t he? Did he just say he sparred with the champion AND Kessler’s challenger within a very short span of time?
Gonzales explained the arrangement. “My uncle and I made it clear to both of them what we were doing. We had already been working with Andre for a year. We didn’t want to have any confusion between the camps, so everyone knew what was going on. And obviously, no one had any problems because the work was so good.”
Believe it or not, after finishing up with Kessler, Gonzales would pack his equipment and head west on the I-80 freeway to King’s Gym back in Oakland, where, in fact, he doubled as Ward’s sparring partner.
“One week, I’d be working with one person, then another week, I’d be working with the other. They’ve got completely different styles. Andre moves a lot so you have to go get him. It’s a little more of a thinking man’s game when you’re in there with a boxer.”
As it turned out, Gonzales had more inside information about both fighters’ camps than any journalist, promoter, or bookie could hope to obtain. But true to his word, there was no conflict of interest. Most importantly, the experience also helped Brandon envision his development and growth in the immediate future.
“The sparring was great because, as a professional, you have to carry yourself over the duration of a championship fight. You have to be able to think, focus, and keep your composure over 12 rounds.”
The Road Ahead…
The Lane Brothers feel that they have laid the groundwork that will enable Gonzales to reach every fighter’s Promised Land: a world title shot.
“First and foremost, we are focused on keeping Brandon active, and hopefully getting him a regional title before the year ends,” informed Tommy. “Our long-term goals are to move Brandon towards a world title. He has what it takes to become a world champion, and when boxing fans become more familiar with Brandon, they will fall in love.”
Likewise, Gonzales trusts his handlers to follow through on their promises. “I’m very confident in Terry and Tommy being able to set me up to be [in] good position toward the end of this year. This is something we all mapped out together. We’re fighting every six weeks. You have the 100th Anniversary of [Jack] Johnson vs. [Jim] Jeffries in Reno that I’m looking forward to as well, so I can’t help but smile looking toward the future.
The next step of that journey takes place this Friday, March 19, when Gonzales takes on his first real test in Boone, who once sent Ward to the canvas. Boone’s record may hover just a bit above .500, but he has shown the durability and guile to take some elite fighters the distance in some gritty losses. The aforementioned “S.O.G.,” Erislandy Lara, Curtis Stevens, Craig McEwan, Edwin Rodriguez, and even current WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal failed to knock Boone out.
The man they call “Flawless” reflected on his five-week camp. “Ray has a private gym in the back of his house in Sacramento, so I’ve been training there. I’m in the recovery period right now leading up to the fight. This is my first scheduled eight-rounder. It’s going to be a great step-up, and I’m looking forward to see what we can do in there with him.”
His road to boxing stardom may not be paved with Olympic gold, but if Brandon Gonzales can prolong his recent performance on an elite level in the upcoming years, it could very well be adorned with WBC green, WBA black, IBF red, and WBO maroon.
“One of my big goals is to bring boxing back to Sacramento at a level, like in the eighties when (former IBF super featherweight/WBA lightweight world champ) Tony Lopez and (former WBA light welterweight champion) Loreto Garza made it huge here,” declared Gonzales. “I’d love to sell out the Arco Arena one day. The fans are starving for an elite fighter, and I would love to be that face that everyone recognizes and associates with Sacramento.”
Let’s Get It On Promotions and the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino present the third installment of their popular “Reno Xtreme Fights” series on Friday, March 19. The card features both boxing and mixed martial arts. The boxing portion is highlighted by Brandon Gonzales (10-0, 9 KOs) vs. Darnell Boone (16-14-2, 6 KOs) in a middleweight bout, welterweight prospect Karim Mayfield (11-0-1, 7 KOs) vs. Mario Ramos (17-6-1, 3 KOs), and the debut of local amateur junior middleweight Omar Zaldivar as he takes on Tom Peterson. Doors to the Grand Theatre open at 7 PM. Tickets are $100, $75, $50, and $25. For $1,000, a “King’s Row Booth” for four will include an exciting spot close to the action with light appetizers and one bottle of alcohol included. For more information, please call 1-800-648-3568 or visit www.GrandSierraResort.com.
Ryan can be reached at rmaquinana@gmail.com
