All the makings of a great fight: Gonzalez vs. Chatman
Lester Gonzalez vs. Chris Chatman promises to be a memorable bout
Wednesday evening, the workers at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Mission Valley were scurrying about setting up the more than 900 chairs and large 20′ by 20′ boxing ring for the much anticipated Coors Light Boxing Series Show to be held tomorrow night. With Lester “El Cubanito” Gonzalez (11-0-1, 6 KO’s) set to face Chris “The Last Chapter” Chatman (8-1-0, 4 KO’s), the promoters, Bobby D Presents in association with Jorge Marron Productions are expecting a huge, overflow crowd.
Against former opponents these two have been wowing audiences and now that they’ll be facing each other for the California State Middleweight Title, everyone’s expecting fireworks and a possible fight of the year.
While conversing with the Gonzalez Camp, they were all smiles, calm, cool and collected. “Chatman is completely undisciplined and I’m going to box his ears off,” said Lester Gonzalez.
The Chatman camp was also beaming with confidence. “There’s a big difference between the two of us,” stated Chatman. “He’s 32 years old and I’m 26. See the way he’s slumping in his chair. He’s past his prime. Last week, I came into mine. I’m in my prime. He may be a good boxer, but I’m a great boxer who’s also an athlete.”
In the co-main event, 28 year-old James “Chocolate” Parison (12-1-0, 3 KOs) of the Gutierrez Gym of South San Diego returns to the ring after not fighting for almost a year. In his last bout back on November 28, 2009, he fought the pride of Scotland, Craig McEwan, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. After that first pro loss, several promising bouts fell through.
Parison is set to face Loren “Axe” Myers (7-9-1, 2 KOs) of Ontario, CA. Parison will soon discover that Myers is no pushover. Myers has faced some mighty tough hombres. His last bout, a loss, was to Willie Monroe Jr. (9-0) at the BB King Blues Club & Grill in New York on July 28, 2010.
If you were to tally the current record of the last six boxers that Myers has faced, you’d discover they currently have a combined record of 70 wins and only three defeats. In those six extremely difficult fights, Myers lost five and ended up with one draw.
On the undercard is another boxer from the Gutierrez Gym, super featherweight Pablo “Bronco” Armenta (3-0-1, 1 KO). In his last bout, a win, he changed his style somewhat and fought a more conservative but still pressing fight to win by points over
He’ll be facing Ronald Hurley of San Jaciento, Ca. (4-4-2). Hurley’s dad insisted that his son’s record is misleading. With over 40 amateur bouts, his manager and father (an ex-boxer) has him fighting only the best, stating that old precept of: “You want to be the best, you have to beat the best.” Only two boxers of the 10 boxers he has faced had a losing record.
Next up, we have Takashi Okada who was born in Okayama City, Okayama, Japan (2-0-1, 1 KO). For a little over a year, he’s been working out at the Azteca Boxing Gym in the City of Bell and has his residence in Torrance, Ca. After an extensive amateur career of 53 wins, 15 losses, he had troubles with his former management and emigrated to the U.S. Like Hurley, Okada doesn’t believe in wasting time or waiting to fight a safe fight, he’s traveled both to New York and Las Vegas.
Okada’s opponent is Daniel Modad of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico (2-2-0, 1 KO). His dad stated that his two loses occurred during a time when Daniel was having personal problems and hopefully all that is behind him.
The final bout would have been in jeopardy but Ernesto Ocon agreed to wait two and a half hours until his opponent, Juan Carlos Diaz arrived. At 2 p.m., Diaz got on an Amtrak train to travel 93 miles south to San Diego. Somehow, that train took almost five hours to get to Downtown San Siego when it only takes an hour and forty minutes by car.
Diaz, who has lost his last six fights, last fought on October 22, 2010, a unanimous decision loss to Mark Salser (11-0-0) at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. During the day, Diaz works at a recycling plant. In the evenings he trains at Jerome’s Gym in Santa Ana, Ca.
Diaz’s opponent is Ernesto Ocon, Jr. (1-0-0) from the Broadway Boxing Gym in South Central Los Angeles. In Ocon’s pro debut he beat David Garcia (1-0-1) of Oxnard, Ca. Ocon began training when he was only five years old after being bullied by an older boy while walking home from school. He fought his first amateur bout at nine and went on to a have a 17-3 record.
Ocon is trained by both his father, Ernesto Ocon, Sr. and Steve Jenkins, who claim that this 22 year old is going to be the next Oscar De La Hoya. Ocon, Sr.: “He’s very smart, a college student, studying to become a Dietician. Plus, he’s a very disciplined athlete, not one tattoo and never talks back to anybody. Just a real good kid.”
