Jonathan Gonzalez overcomes strong start by Mark Barriga, retains WBO junior flyweight title by decision

Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez overcame a powerful first half by Mark Anthony Barriga to hustle his option to a unanimous determination victory Friday to retain his WBO junior flyweight belt.

The three judges scored the bout 115-113 and 117-111 on the 2 remaining playing cards on the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla., preserving the 31-year-old Gonzalez’s standing because the lone male world titleholder from Puerto Rico.

The struggle was the primary protection of the belt that Gonzalez (26-3-1, 14 knockouts) received by break up determination final October over Elwin Soto. 

Barriga would show to be a tough opponent because the 2012 Olympian from Panabo Metropolis, Philippines, strolling Gonzalez into counter proper hooks and left fingers early on. Barriga (11-2, 2 KOs) didn’t have the facility damage Gonzalez, whose three earlier losses had been by knockouts to larger punchers than Barriga.

Gonzalez started to determine his dominance in spherical ten, as Barriga loaded up wildly on his punches to attempt to put the struggle away, however ended up lacking extra. Gonzalez used his dimension and boxing ability to again Barriga off with jabs, and pushed the tempo as Barriga pale late.

Barriga, 29, has now misplaced in his two world title makes an attempt, having dropped a break up determination to Carlos Licona in December of 2018 for the IBF strawweight title.

Within the co-main occasion, Angelino Cordova (17-0-1, 12 KOs) pulled off a minor upset, defeating Axel Aragon (15-5-1, 8 KOs) by a ten spherical break up determination. One card had it 97-93 for Aragon, whereas the opposite two had it 97-93 and 98-92 for Cordova, 26, of Caracas, Venezuela however who now trains out of Park Elite Boxing Academy in Roselle Park, N.J. below coach Percy Gayanilo.

The win was Cordova’s second towards a fighter with a profitable report, and comes simply two fights after Aragon’s spirited problem of WBA junior flyweight titleholder Hiroto Kyoguchi, whom Aragon outfight early on earlier than a hand harm compelled the struggle to finish within the fifth.