Show:491748

REPORT

Gonzalez Shocks Kimbrough and Crowd: Retains IBA Featherweight Title!
By Brady Crytzer ; FightNews April 14, 2006 
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In a night of exciting action and upsets, Mexico City native Jose "The East L.A. Terminator" 
Gonzalez scored an impressive fourth    round knockout over the previously unbeaten Verquan "The 
Show" Kimbrough to retain his IBA featherweight championship. Though Gonzalez was the 
defending champion, the near capacity crowd at The Harv at The Mountaineer Racetrack Casino and 
Resort in Chester, WV seem perplexed as local favorite Verquan Kimbrough made his entrance to the 
ring before his opponent. But, once the action began it was clear why the champion always gets the 
benefit of the doubt.
Jose Gonzalez had a clear plan of countering his faster opponent with strong and quick right hands 
which immediately gave Kimbrough difficulties. As the audience stood in awe of Kimbrough lightening 
fast but mostly off target punches, the hard and effective counters of Gonzalez was paid little 
attention. It was not until a very alert Gonzalez landed three hard snapping punches to the chin 
while Kimbrough moved straight back that he was given any respect. The second round saw a concerned 
Verquan Kimbrough command the ring as he finally appeared to find his rhythm. With the counter right 
hands of Gonzalez becoming less accurate largely in part due to his opponents solid defensive skills, 
"The Show" landed solid jabs and sparse combinations. Though Kimbrough was clearly winning the round, 
Gonzalez showed that he was not to be taken lightly by slamming a hard left hook to the body of his 
opponent.
The third round saw the action tighten up as both men seemed anxious for a KO. After being warned for 
holding and hitting to the back of the head, Kimbrough continued to box avoiding a number of counter 
shots and displaying his skills to a much appreciative crowd. With the third coming to an end and 
Gonzalez stumbling from an apparent slip, it appeared as though yet another impressive Verquan 
Kimbrough victory was on its way.
The fourth round will be forever remembered on the grounds of The Mountaineer as "The Show´s" 
undefeated streak would come to a crashing halt. After some cautious exchanges, a confidant Gonzalez
After the smoke had cleared a dazed and overwhelmed Kimbrough fell to the canvas. With the local hero 
in serious trouble, referee Tim Wheeler appeared hesitant to begin the count of ten. After more than 
five seconds with Kimbrough still on his back, Wheeler began the count with Kimbrough rising to his 
feet at nine. After another brief exchange with nothing significant landing, a badly hurt Kimbrough 
nearly fell to his back yet again only being saved by clutching his opponents waist. The drama then 
continued to unfold as referee Wheeler, while pulling Kimbrough off of Gonzalez, insisted there was 
no knockdown only to have the Aliquippa native crumple to the floor in his arms. After a clearly 
injured Kimbrough regained his footing Wheeler halted the contest at 1:32 of the fourth round. 
With this victory Jose Gonzalez improves to 13-2 while Verquan Kimbrough suffers the first loss of 
his career falling to 14-1-1. Kimbrough remained on his stool for nearly fifteen minutes. 
"Every win is a big win," Gonzalez said. "I knew that the left hook to the body hurt him. I will 
speak with my manager and decide what the next step will be."
Tommy Yankello, trainer of Kimbrough as well as heavyweight contenders Calvin Brock and Brian Minto 
had this to say. "He (Kimbrough) is saying it was a punch to the back of the head followed by a body 
shot."
In the opening heavyweight bout of the evening, WBO # 14 ranked cruiserweight Dan "Hard Way" Harvison 
impressively stopped journeyman Mike Middleton by TKO at 1:36 of round three. Harvison used his nearly 
four inch height advantage to its fullest by keeping Middleton at bay with a long jab. The long 
distance assault continued in the second as Harvison leapt in to his short opponent unleashing a strong 
flurry of punches to the body. At the bell, "Hard Way" staggered Middleton with a long range right hand. 
The third saw Dan Harvison, who was coming off of a ninth month injury, deliver the first KO of the 
night beginning with a hard straight right hand that nearly sent his opponent over the top rope and into 
press row. Referee Tim Wheeler gave Mike Middleton a count and, after Middleton regained his footing, 
stopped the contest when a crushing Harvison left hook dropped him into the ropes. Dan Harvison remains 
undefeated with an impressive record of 14-0.
In preparation for a May ESPN date with contender Ednar Cherry, IBA 130 lb. champion Monty Meza-Clay had 
little trouble dispatching Oklahoma native Bobby Dodds scoring a second round TKO at 1:54. Meza-Clay kept 
his opponent against the ropes with hard punches to the body. Though, Dodds tried to implement his reach 
with jabs and straights, Meza-Clay appeared to be too strong and continued to punish his opponent. The 
second round saw the end Meza-Clay dropped his man three times with hard combinations to the head and body.
In the second title bout of the night heavyweight "Dangerous" Jim Northey shocked a much larger Nicolai 
"Stone Man" Firtha by scoring a devastating second round knockout at 2:47 making him the NABC Americas 
heavyweight champion. Taking the fight on only a weeks notice, the shorter Northey appeared overmatched by 
the mountain of man in Nicolai Firtha. Firtha neglected to use his reach advantage and decided to fight 
inside using strong uppercuts and hooks to wear Northey down and ultimately open a small cut under his left 
eye. Following some smacking body shots, it appeared as the lack of preparation and size would be a major 
factor in the fight for Northey. Round two saw Firtha once more give up his reach advantage and try to 
finish his opponent as both men stood toe-to-toe. As the men separated, the "big tree fell hard" as a 
crushing right hand crumpled the giant Firtha to the canvas. Beating the count, Firtha was blasted once 
again by a left hook sending him to the floor. After beating the count for a second time, the fight was 
waved off as the injured Firtha fell to the ground once more showing little or no balance. "Dangerous" 
Jim Northey earned his moniker and advances to 11-1 while Firtha falls to 9-2-1.
"The left hook set it up," Northey said. "I knew that the left hook was the key, they (Northey's corner) 
kept saying it was the key to winning. That is exactly how I envisioned winning this fight."
The sideshow victory of the night went to former toughman fighter Adam "The KO Kid" Smith (11-5-1, 2 KOs) 
as he knocked out the Tony Soprano-like Rocky Phillips (21-12, 19 KOs) at 1:40 of the second round. The 
crowd that congregated in The Harv knew that they were in for a real treat when the portly Phillips entered 
the ring wearing black, low-top work boots and a plain white t-shirt adorned with black magic marker. 
Though both men seemed content to land a weak jab and wrestle, neither gave up the battle to win the 
scheduled four round staring contest. With Rocky Phillips second wearing a shirt that simply said "Rocky's 
Corner" on the back giving his man tips between rounds, it was clear that the key to winning this evenly 
matched affair would be in the training. After a brief flailing of punches during a clinch by Smith in 
the second, Phillips surprisingly fell to the canvas. An even more surprised Smith jumped in with a 
glancing right hand that ended the bout at 1:54 seconds.
In the lone welterweight contest of the night, John Lipscomb defeated a debuting Steve Perry by unanimous decision.