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90 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 15, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo via International Boxing and Fitness Club on Instagram
Ridgewood boxer signs contract and gets huge win
BY RYAN KELLEY
rkelley@ridgewoodtimes.com
Twitter @R_Kelley6
Ridgewood boxer Mathew “Left y Gunz”
Gonzalez took his young career to new
heights over the weekend, when he continued
his undefeated streak and signed a
promotional deal with one of the sport’s
most recognizable names.
At the weigh-in for his latest bout on
March 9, Gonzalez inked a 10-fi ght contract
with Th e Real Deal Boxing, founded
in 2017 by four-time heavyweight champion
Evander Holyfi eld. Th e deal will help
launch Gonzalez’s career by getting him
fi ghts in large venues, continued media
coverage, world class training and nutritional
advice, said Jenny Badillo, owner
of International Boxing & Fitness Club in
Ridgewood where Gonzalez trains.
“We’re really excited,” Badillo said.
“We started independently, with self
management, self advisement and in less
than a year we got him signed and in big
venue fi ghts.”
Th e next night, Gonzalez dominated in
his March 10 debut at the Kings Th eater
in Brooklyn against Elliott Brown from
Erie, Pennsylvania. In the second round
as time was winding down, Gonzalez
landed a straight left hand to the jawline
of his opponent a few seconds before the
bell. When the third round was about to
begin, Brown couldn’t get off his stool.
Badillo said they later found out that
Brown’s jaw was broken.
With the second-round technical
knockout (TKO), Gonzalez improved his
professional record to 4-0 with three of
those wins coming by way of knockout.
Aft er fi ghting in New York for the fi rst
time as a professional at the Barclays
Center in January, Gonzalez said he was
able to be a little more relaxed heading
into his March 10 fi ght. Th e Kings
Th eater, a much smaller stage, will
become his “new home” for at least his
next three fi ghts, Gonzalez said.
“I was able to take my time and work
on my jab to break my opponent down,”
Gonzalez said. “Last time at the Barclays
Center, I was a little too over-anxious, I
got sloppy at times. But this time I stayed
poised, stayed calm and got the job done.”
Looking forward to his next fi ght,
Gonzalez said the biggest diff erence aft er
signing with Th e Real Deal will be the
resources at his disposal. With the backing
of a professional promotions team,
Gonzalez and Badillo won’t have to worry
about selling tickets or wonder when
Left y Gunz can get on another fi ght card.
“I don’t have to look around and try
to talk to other promotion companies
and try to get on their card,” Gonzalez
said. “All I have to do is worry about the
fi ght and getting better each and every go
around.”
Gonzalez will look to remain undefeated
when he fi ghts again at the Kings
Th eater on April 21.
The referee declares Mathew Gonzalez the winner by technical knockout at a March 10 fi ght at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn.
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