Been trying to take a closer look at the career of Gonzalez as of late. Who would take this one at 135? Who's the better fighter?
Gonzalez. He was very good at one point and just seemed to burn out overnight. He beat ALOT of good contenders and had more skill then Castillo.
Yeah, Gonzalez was really good from 92-95. By the time he drew with Chavez and lost to Tzyu, he was faded.
He just didn't have the form he had earlier. I can't say why. He burnt out pretty fast. I guess you could say he peaked at age 23 or 24. (1993-1994) and couldn't maintain his peak form for long. Some guys have long primes, some don't. He showed signs of slippage when he was gifted a decision over Lamar Murphy in 1995. Then, he moved up to 140 lbs and never looked as good as he had in his 135 lb. prime. He was easily beaten by De La Hoya, drew with a shot Chavez and was stopped by Tzyu.
He turned pro a 17. He beat Hector Lopez,Mendy,Sample, and Lavender Johnson. The Lamar Murphy fight was a robbery. Gonzalez lost. But he got the decision. And it was at this fight I thought he didn't look right.
Good stuff guys, thank you. Always like to get opinions from people who actually were around to see said fighter. You obviously end up with a much more complete picture of fighters that way, as perceptions tend to change with time and what not. Anyone else?
These guys still weren't as good as Castillo, whereas Gonzales arguably wouldn't be Castillo's best win if it happened that way.
