PHOENIX – Familiar echoes filled the building. Jesus Gonzales was back.
Back at work.
Gonzales returned Friday to his hometown in an attempt to restart a career that began with him tagged as a big-time prospect. The tag is gone. Some of the skills are rusty. But the second chapter is underway with a victory. Little else mattered to a near-capacity in the 2,600-seat Celebrity Theatre.
Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) could do no wrong for a lively crowd that chanted his nickname and cheered his unanimous decision over Dhafir Smith (24-20-7, 4 KOs) for the International Boxing Federation’s North American super-middleweight title.
“I got work to do,’’ said Gonzales, who is called El Martillo, Spanish for The Hammer. “I know that. But, man, it just feels good to be back in the ring.’’
For most of 12 rounds, Gonzales’ powerful left hand hammered Dhafir of Philadelphia. Gonzales was credited with a knockdown in the third. But Dhafir called it a slip. Whatever it was, it would not have mattered. Gonzales, who collected $3,500, won all but two rounds on the 15rounds scorecard, although he also suffered a cut over his right eye in the 10th by a left hand from Dhafir, who beat former and faded champion Jeff Lacy in his last bout.
“Just a bad night,’’ said Dhafir, who earned $7,500. “But, man, that was not a knockdown in the 10th.’’
“My jab wasn’t the way it needs to be,’’ said Gonzales, who needed six-to-10 stitches for the cut. “I’ll go back into the gym and work on that for sure.’’
On the undercard there was confusion and controversy. Canadian junior-middleweight Janks Trotter (4-0-1) fought to a technical draw with Arturo Crespin (6-1-1) of New Mexico The six-round fight was stopped after the second because Crespin suffered a cut caused by a head butt, although Trotter argued that a pitch, a left hand, cut Crespin.
Trotter went into the ring with a shuffled corner. Michael Carbajal had been training him at the Ninth Street Gym in Phoenix, but did not work the corner because the Phoenix Hall of Famer had been drinking. The Arizona State Boxing Commission was notified of the change by Fanbase Promotions before the card began. Carbajal, 43, has been struggling with drinking problems since he retired from the ring in 1999.
Carbajal, who was honored for his career at intermission, sat a table near ringside. During the fight, he was agitated by what he saw. It looked as if he was about to leave his ringside seat for a seat in Trotter’s corner. But he stayed put at the urging of friends who were with him.
Rest of the card: California welterweight Ricky Duenas (8-1) won a majority decision over Eddie Brooks (9-3) of Phoenix; Phoenix light-heavyweight Roberto Yong (1-2) scored a unanimous decision over Nelson Lopez of Reno; and cruiserweights Carlos Reyes (4-3-1) of Superior, Ariz., and Billy Schmidt (1-0-2) fought to a draw.
