Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez was supposed to act out the role of a sacrificial lamb against unbeaten countryman Abner Mares during their recent scuffle for the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) featherweight (126 lbs.) championship. While a former two-division champion (bantamweight and featherweight), the popular belief going into the fight was that Gonzalez had seen better days.
Gonzalez was never the same fighter after he lost the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title (118 lbs.) to Filipino Gerry Peñalosa in August 2007 in California. Boxing cleverly and way ahead on points, Gonzalez fell down on his knees and never regained equal footing after absorbing a perfect body shot from Peñalosa in the seventh stanza. The rousing upset made Peñalosa a two-division champion, putting him in the same plateau as brother Dodie Boy Peñalosa, Luisito Espinosa, Nonito Donaire Jr., Brian Viloria, Donnie Nietes, and Manny Pacquiao. Gonzalez, on the other hand, faded into oblivion after the bout.