Boxing
Danny Garcia Farewell – or Danny Gonzalez Arrival Saturday?
Danny Gonzalez, the boxer who refused to quit, challenges Danny “Swift” Garcia in Brooklyn
Former world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia is set for his highly anticipated return to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday, October 18, in what is being billed as his final fight at the venue that has hosted some of his most memorable victories.
Garcia is a two-division world champion, having held titles at junior welterweight (140 pounds) and welterweight (147 pounds). His consistent presence as a top-tier boxer and his ability to win major fights, often as an underdog, solidifies his place as one of the most accomplished American fighters of his era.
Danny Gonzalez knows he is the B-side, but is full of confidence. Photo: Robert Rosa Photos
His opponent seems like an afterthought, someone brought in to give Garcia his farewell victory. He is the B-side of Saturday’s clash, the nameless gray face that will fill out Garcia’s ledger to leave Brooklyn with a farewell victory.
Not so fast! While Garcia’s story is one of championship pedigree, Danny Gonzalez’s path to this main event is a testament to extraordinary resilience. He brings one of the most compelling stories to the ring Saturday.
His journey to this moment started in an unlikely place and had more than his fair share of twists and turns, and was interrupted by significant personal hardships that threatened to end his boxing career. His return to elite competition, proving his heart and will through a grueling comeback, fuels his incredible motivation for this bout. His opportunity is about “timing,” suggesting a moment of destiny years in the making.
Meet Danny Gonzalez
Danny Gonzalez was born and raised in Woodhaven, Queens, New York. His introduction to boxing, like that of many, was initially a way to lose weight and earn respect, the most important respect one could have: self-respect. While he will be fighting at 154 pounds on Saturday, the first day he walked into the Universal Boxing Gym all those years ago, he was nearly 250+ pounds.
“I had no self-esteem, I was embarrassed and just lost,” Gonzalez said. Desperate, obese, and depressed, he found salvation in Moises Roman Junior’s Universal Boxing. “I fell in love with it, no talking, it was the perfect thing for me, it mattered how hard you work. No lies in boxing, it’s honest combat.”
The two have forged a partnership that goes beyond the ring. “We are more like father and son, then trainer and coach, fighter or manager, we are like Mike Tyson and Cus D’Amato,” said Gonzalez.
Roman has guided Gonzalez’s development throughout his entire career, from the amateurs to the pros. He credits Roman and Universal for his development, and the lessons translated well beyond the ring. “Nothing beats hard work,” he shares.
Gonzalez Honed His Skills With Star Boxing
Danny Gonzalez is a product of Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing in New York. Photo: Star Boxing
If Universal was where he learned his craft, Star Boxing’s “Rockin’ Fights” at The Paramount is where he honed and sharpened it. You learn more than just the craft of boxing as part of “Rockin’ Fights.”
Gonzalez compiled a record of 12-0 with three knockouts and is one of the most decorated fighters from the series, holding three regional titles. He also parlayed the early success in the series into a fight with the first World Champion in “Rockin’ Fights” history, Chris Algieri.
Gonzalez battled Algieri at Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden. While Algieri was the victor, the fight was closer than the judges’ scorecards indicated. Many felt Gonzalez did enough to at least earn the draw. Gonzalez fought aggressively, managed to get inside Algieri’s renowned jab, and caused a cut under Algieri’s left eye, which was a key moment in the fight.
“Idols become rivals. I am grateful to Chris, and fighting him was a great experience,” said Gonzalez. Gonzalez lost but acquitted himself nicely. “The Paramount prepared me for MSG. You will laugh, but my fight with Johnny Hernandez (fellow Star Boxing fighter and local rival) was much louder, and the energy was one of a kind.”
Gonzalez would bounce back and win the WBC FECARBOX Super Lightweight Title back at the Paramount and then beat Johnny Hernandez once again in a strong and decisive performance, defending his belt.
As his momentum began to build, the coronavirus pandemic shut the world down, and he would be out of the ring for almost 18 months.
READ MORE: The Education of Danny Gonzalez
Danny Gonzalez Carries On
Despite the challenges the world was facing, Gonzalez stayed ready during the pandemic and trained hard. He grabbed his 20th win at the famed 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. “The 20th win, I think, is a game changer for the networks, when they hear 20, it just sounds different than 19,” Gonzalez told me. Gonzalez had a solid performance, shutting out an overmatched Evincii Dixon, a professional opponent with 26 losses.
This propelled him into a fight with up-and-coming Petros Ananyan, with the victor getting to move up the rankings. The ten-round fight was a grueling, action-packed affair, with both men engaging willingly. Ananyan, known for his relentless pressure and solid fundamentals, often relied on his strength and experience to land the better punches in the exchanges. Gonzalez, true to his “El Gallo” nickname, was relentless and extremely durable.
The fight was close. One judge scored it a draw (95-95). However, the two other judges saw the experience and slightly cleaner punching of Ananyan prevailing, giving him the win and the vacant WBA Continental Americas title via majority decision.
The loss was a tough one for Gonzalez, but his competitive spirit in a high-level bout against a world-ranked fighter demonstrated his mettle, for the second time he came close but could not break through to that next level.
“No matter what I hit him with, he kept coming, and there were the headbutts and the elbows, that was probably my toughest fight, but I also felt I did enough to win either way. I knew I could hang,” said Gonzalez.
Painful Lesson for Danny Gonzalez
Moises Roman Jr. has stuck with Danny Gonzalez from day one through the biggest fight of his career on Saturday. Photo: Robert Rosa Photos
He hit a major bump in the road with an underwhelming performance against Paulo Galdino at St. John’s University’s Carnesecca Arena, a fight that was supposed to be a homecoming for Gonzalez.
The bout started explosively. Gonzalez, fighting in his Queens backyard, came out aggressively and dropped Galdino in the first round with a flurry of punches. Gonzalez pressed hard to finish the fight, but the Brazilian southpaw, Galdino, was able to survive the round.
After recovering, Galdino settled into the fight and began putting his own punches together. The bout turned into a memorable “back-and-forth” battle, with both warriors trading at will throughout the eight rounds. The result was a tough loss for Gonzalez in his welterweight campaign debut.
It was now two losses in a row and one against a fighter that Gonzalez should have beaten handily. “Three weeks before the fight I was like 180 and dropped the weight for the fight, after the weigh in I was vomiting and was sick, to make the weight I was on death’s door,” Gonzalez shared.
It was a painful lesson and one that Gonzalez seems to have learned, “I didn’t keep myself in the shape I should have, and I took the fight lightly. I learned from the lesson, and have you ever seen me out of shape?” he said.
As Gonzalez was looking to get on the comeback trail, he was derailed by a rotator cuff injury that kept him out for all of 2023. He would be out of action for almost two years, and while it may have looked like he was at the end of the line, he never considered quitting.
“I knew I would be back, I would never go out like that,” he said.
Road to Redemption Goes Through Huntington, NY
He pushed to make a comeback, and he would return to familiar territory, “Rockin’ Fights.” He put together a dominating performance against the tough, lanky Irishman Keane McMahon. Gonzalez came out and thoroughly outboxed the much taller McMahon, winning a lopsided decision.
He was brought in as the opponent for Michael “Slick” Anderson in a ten-round “crossroads” fight, pitting New York’s Gonzalez against the local Newark veteran, Anderson. Anderson was riding a seven-fight winning streak.
Despite the high stakes, Gonzalez delivered a dominant performance. Gonzalez won by unanimous decision, handing Anderson his first loss in five years. The victory marked Gonzalez’s second consecutive win and significantly boosted his standing, capturing the IBF USBA Welterweight Championship.
Opportunity Knocks Thanks to Danny Garcia
Danny Gonzalez now has his face on the Barclays Center jumbotron and the front marquee of the building. Photo: Don Avery, Swift Promotions
Once again, though, Gonzalez would have to overcome a major challenge, this time from outside the ring. While riding his electric scooter, Gonzalez was the victim of a hit-and-run that saw him crash onto the car’s windshield and land in the street. Miraculously, he was not seriously injured, although he suffered a broken leg and would be out again.
“It might have been the worst time of my life, as I was lying there, I thought that was the end of my career,” said Gonzalez.
He struggled to make sense of it, but continued to work and get stronger. “I was in pain for months, all I could tell myself was that I can come back from anything, I would pray to God … In the end, it made me a better, stronger person,” he said.
Less than 10 months later, Gonzalez is now center stage, trying to push Danny Garcia into retirement and himself finally into the world title picture, this time at 154 pounds.
“It’s the best fight for me … You beat someone like Danny Garcia, you become mainstream. The only people to beat him are legends. If I beat him, I become a legend,” said Gonzalez.
While Gonzalez is confident, he is respectful of Garcia, “You can’t hate on him. He did it the hard way, never ducked a fight, he is a fighter’s fighter.
“I trained with him about eight years ago. We sparred about 30 rounds. He was a good dude, I have nothing bad to say about him.”
Payoff For A Career’s Worth of Perseverance
The ten-round clash with Danny Garcia is more than just a fight for Danny Gonzalez; it is the ultimate payoff for a career’s worth of grit and perseverance, a hard-earned arrival onto the championship level.
This fight is the culmination of a decade-plus journey of grinding hard work and fortitude, providing the opportunity to capture that career-defining moment and prove he belongs on the sport’s biggest stage.
“It’s the passing of the torch. He is taking me lightly. He is expecting the kid from eight years ago.
“The thing about me is I have always learned from every loss. I am getting better day by day, and I am now in my prime,” Gonzalez concluded.
