Jhonny Gonzalez-Jorge Arce: Pre-Fight Report Card

By Cliff Rold

The names are big.

In terms of tickets and television eyes in Mexico, the fight will be too.  Stars sell.  When they have a penchant for nasty fights, they sell even better.  Jorge Arce, attempting to win a major title in his fifth weight class (he also won an interim strap in a sixth along the way), has been around long enough to fight Michael Carbajal and Nonito Donaire.

He’s been a star most of the way. 

Jhonny Gonzalez might never have been quite as big, but he’s also never been bigger.  His first round upset of Abner Mares last year invigorated his career.  A former titlist at Bantamweight now reigning for the second time at Featherweight, can he keep his momentum going?

Let’s go to the report card.

The Ledgers

Jhonny Gonzalez

Age: 33

Title: WBC Featherweight (2013-Present, 1 Defense)

Previous Titles: WBO Bantamweight (2005-07, 1 Defenses); WBC Featherweight (2011-12, 4 Defenses)

Height: 5’6 ½

Weight: 126 lbs.

Hails from: Mexico City, Mexico

Record: 56-8, 47 KO, 3 KOBY

Rankings: #1 (BoxingScene, TBRB, ESPN, Ring), #2 (BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights: 9-4, 7 KO, 3 KOBY 

Current/Former World Champions Faced: 13 (Adonis Rivas UD12; Ratanachai Sor Vorapin TKO7; Mark Johnson KO8; Fernando Montiel SD12; Israel Vazquez TKO by 10; Irene Pacheco TKO9; Gerry Penalosa KO by 7; Mauricio Pastrana TKO4; Toshiaki Nishioka TKO by 3; Hozumi Hasegawa TKO4; Elio Rojas UD12; Daniel Ponce De Leon L8; Abner Mares KO1)

Vs.

Jorge Arce


Age: 35

Title: None

Previous Titles: WBO Light Flyweight (1998-99, 1 Defense); Lineal World/WBC Light Flyweight (2002-05, 7 Defenses); WBO Super Flyweight (2010); WBO Super Bantamweight (2011, 1 Defense); WBO Bantamweight (2011-12)

Height: 5’4 ½

Weight: 126 lbs.

Hails from: Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico

Record: 64-7-2, 49 KO, 4 KOBY

Rankings: Unrated

Record in Major Title Fights: 13-5, 9 KO, 3 KOBY (22-5, 16 KO, 3 KOBY including interim title fights)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 20 (Omar Nino TKO by 1; Jose Victor Burgos L12; Juan Domingo Cordoba UD12; Michael Carbajal TKO by 11; Yosam Choi TKO6; Melchor Cob Castro W6, KO5; Joma Gamboa KO2; Adonis Rivas TKO10, RTD6; Rosendo Alvarez KO6; Hawk Makepula TKO4; Cristian Mijares L12; Tomas Rojas TKO6; Medgoen Singsurat TKO1; Isidro Garcia TKO4; Vic Darchinyan TKO by 11; Simphiwe Nongqayi L12, TKO4; Martin Castillo KO1; Lorenzo Parra D10, KO5; Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. TKO12; Nonito Donaire KO by 3)

Grades

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Gonzalez B+; Arce B+

One will rarely find this much experience in the ring at the same time.  Between them, they’ve faced over 30 major titlists and engaged in almost 140 fights.  Both have throwback records full of activity and the roller coaster ride it can bring.  Both have been stopped more than once, Arce across the breadth of his career.  Gonzalez has faltered only at the title level.  In terms of longevity, both have competed since the 90s.  Arce turned pro at 16; Gonzalez at 17.

These are seasoned pros. 

Of the two, Gonzalez has always been the larger man.  Arce’s best form came at Jr. Flyweight where he came so close to sending the great Michael Carbajal into retirement with a loss.  Gonzalez has navigated his entire career between Bantamweight and Featherweight.  Coming in, many see this as an unpredictable fight because Gonzalez has been on the floor more than once.

So has Arce.

Gonzalez’s advantages are more than sheer size.  He has longer arms and can, when he elects to, box from range.  Arce relies on pressure and has to force the fight.  This has been even more the case as he moves up in weight.  While each has some big names on their mark, it’s been a long time since Arce beat one when it counted.

There is a lot of good timing in the career of Arce.  Choi was an excellent win and Arce was a dangerous man at 108 lbs.  After that, his management was keen.  He didn’t fight guys like Alvarez, Castillo, or Parra when they still had the goods.  His spots have been carefully picked.  When he has tried fresh top quality, it hasn’t gone well.  Carbajal solved him as a young man.  Mijares, Darchinyan, and Donaire toyed with him. 

That takes nothing from his remarkable longevity.  He’s been a dividing line between B and A talent for a long time, and those B’s haven’t all gone quietly.  That line was made apparent in his last truly notable win, the stoppage of Vazquez for a title at 122 lbs. 

Arce’s not been an easy out unless the man pitching against him brought some serious heat.  His star power has left the sanctioning bodies fawning over him for years.  He was never forced to actually fight the actual WBC Champion at 112.  He was essentially given titles at 115 (after losing in three previous title tries) and 118, both times for vacant titles against Angky Angkotta.

Arce can still punch, but his power isn’t what it was at lower weights and he needs to land a lot to get rid of even fringe guys these days.  Will Gonzalez let him get off?  Is there still one big shot on reserve?

Gonzalez has had some sudden losses (think Penalosa and Nishioka).  He traded knockdowns in an oft forgotten classic with Vazquez.  He’s also been a devastating finisher.  Hasegawa looked like he was rebuilding at Featherweight after a solid run at 118 lbs.  Gonzalez reversed that course.  Mares never knew what hit him. 

The big names Gonzalez defeated were closer to their better days than those Arce defeated.

So for all the experience on paper, it would appear Gonzalez should be the sharper man.  He’s also more sound defensively.  Both can be easy targets but when Gonzalez gets the jab going, he can make it more difficult.  Arce, if he hopes to win, will be open as he comes forward.  The crowd will be the challengers as they fight in Arce’s hometown.  Will that help him soak up some leather in tight spots?                  

The Pick

Based on their history, this has the ingredients of a war.  Based on their recent form, it looks like a potential mismatch.  Arce was out of his league with Donaire in 2012 and appeared faded in his last outing over the summer.  Before that, almost every serious step up besides Vazquez above 112 lbs. has resulted in decisive defeat.  Arce is giving up size, and some youth, in this one and has had a more grueling style to wear at him.  His puncher’s chance is real enough, but Gonzalez hits harder at these weights and is no more vulnerable than the challenger.  Gonzalez has also been competing more closely with better competition for quite some time.  He was willing to go on the road to Arce because he shouldn’t have that much to worry about.  Arce might make for some fun early moments, but eventually Gonzalez controls him with the jab and lowers the boom.  Gonzalez is the pick by knockout. 

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Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com