SenorPipino wrote: ↑05 Jan 2018, 14:31
This saddens me because I used know Gonzales somewhat during that 1984 LA Olympic year, when I was working at a suburban newspaper next door to the fighter's East LA hometown.
Gonzales used to come into our office handing out press releases in preparation for the Olympic trials. I think they were in Texas.
When he won the trials and subsequent box-off, he would return to our office, ready to give interviews about his preparations for the summer games .
I think I might have been the only true boxing fanatic there, so I latched on to Gonzales.
Nicest kid. I think he was maybe 19.
He fancied himself a combination of some of that day's outstanding fighters. I recall he thought of himself as an Arguello type, although truth be told, Gonzales had very limited power.
Just a tricky light flyweight, who used his speed and excellent technique to outpoint foes.
Gonzales invited me down to the Hollenbeck Youth Center where he trained under ex-cop, ex-fighter Al Stankie.
Stankie was an unhinged piece of work, to put it mildly. Yelling and screaming at no one in particular and ducking his head under the ring to bellow indecipherable nonsense.
How Gonzales persevered and prospered under Stankie's deranged guidance, is a mystery to me.
Nevertheless, Gonzales brought home the Gold in front of a hometown audience and was named the outstanding boxer of the tournament.
And this was a US team that boasted an incredibly strong lineup--Holyfield, Whitaker, Breland, Taylor, Hill, Biggs and Tate.
After he won the medal, Gonzales returned to our office on several occasions, always wearing the gold medal and the US team warm up suit.
It was the first and only time I've handled an Olympic Gold so it was pretty cool.
Now a celebrity, Gonzales politely signed autographs for at least a half hour. Like I said, just a very nice kid.
Gonzales pro career has to be considered something of a letdown.
He never seemed physically strong enough to compete with veterans especially as he moved up to bantamweight.
He did score a decisive win over Orlando Canizalez when both were up and coming undefeated fighters.
But when they met again for the world title several years later, the much improved Canizalez manhandled Gonzales and stopped him on a TKO.
Gonzales retired in 1991, putting together a 16-4 (3) mark.
Fairly pedestrian considering much was expected from him.
In the 90s you would read about Gonzales making derogatory remarks about East L.A's newest Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya.
Maybe it was jealousy.
Until DLH, Gonzales was proud to be ELA's only golden Olympian, and then suddenly he was practically forgotten as Oscar became a local and then worldwide superstar.
It must have grated on Gonzales.
I hope the charges against Gonzales turn out to be unfounded. I still remember that proud, courteous young man.
Unfortunately, a person's dark side has a way of eventually surfacing---in this case in a very embarrassing, public manner.
We'll just have to wait and see how the up and down saga of Paul Gonzales finally plays out.