Roberto Vasquez vs. Jose Plinio Gonzalez

From BoxRec
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Roberto Vasquez 112 lbs beat Jose Plinio Gonzalez 112 lbs by UD in round 8 of 8

A Night in Magnum

By Christian Guidice

While former featherweight great Eusebio Pedroza came into Pineda’s camp to provide some pre-fight repairs, the Panamanian legend also found his way into the corner of flyweight prospect Roberto “The Spider” Vásquez. Before Spider entered the ring in his splendid apparel, the stitchings in his web had to be tightened after a subpar performance in his last fight (KO10) against Colombian challenger Marlon Marquez, where he took too many punches. Despite earning a well-deserved eight-round decision over rugged José “Plinio” González at 112 pounds, Vásquez didn’t provide the fireworks that many had expected from the KO artist. Whether his index finger – which will be operated on next week – was bothering the young fighter or the jump from his prime weight of 108 to 112 made a significant difference, Vásquez didn’t have the same pop in his punches as previous fights. Nevertheless, Vásquez (11-1, 9 KOs) understood the ramifications of the fight from the day he signed for the fight: It was merely a warm up for more lucrative bouts. Even as González joked of spraying bug repellant on Spider, the young flyweight – ranked #9 by the WBC and #10 by the WBO – realized that he had everything to lose in this bout. While González (7-10-4, 2 KOs) was a lightly regarded, but solid foe who some tried desperately to build up after a win (W6) over former champ Carlos “Puas” Murillo, Spider had to win and look impressive at the same time. And although González’s face was a map of spider bites from straight lefts mixed with some hooks, for most of the fight Vásquez looked like he was punching a wall. “I am content with my performance. I think I did a lot better from my last fight with Marquez,” said Vásquez. “I learned a lot from working with (new trainers)Marcos Martinez and Pedroza.” It wasn’t until a jarring uppercut in the last 10 seconds of the 7th round which rocked González’s head back that Spider looked like his old self. Following up in the final round with a center-of-the-ring explosion that would have knocked most fighters down or out, the granite chin of González held on until the final bell. “I think he definitely improved from the previous fight,” said manager and promoter Carlos Gonzalez. “He didn’t square up in front of his opponent like he did Marquez. But he also hurt his hand again.” It wasn’t an excuse for his fighter, but the truth. Icing his hand immediately after the fight, Vásquez will face guys who he will find it impossible to look good against. It’s the nature of guys like González to not adhere to the inner messages that their body is giving them. Instead they punch, take three more in return and return to the battle. While other fighters give in to their gut feeling, Gonzalez’s pride only allows him to stand and absorb. Fortunately, he caught Spider on a night in between trainers with an injured hand, and not where he should be, just yet.

Retrieved from "https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php?title=Roberto_Vasquez_vs._Jose_Plinio_Gonzalez&oldid=209671"