Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez has immediately reaped the benefits of aligning himself with Puerto Rico’s biggest star in the sport.
The reigning WBO junior flyweight titlist will enjoy a long-overdue homecoming for his next title defense. It comes versus fellow Boricua and interim WBO titleholder Rene Santiago, whom Caguas’ Gonzalez faces on March 2 on DAZN from El Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
Gonzalez’s placement on the card comes from his new manager. Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30KOs), the reigning lineal and unified WBA, IBF and WBO featherweight champion, defends her crown versus IBF mandatory Nina Meinke. She made sure to prominently place both of her fighters—Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14KOs) and rookie junior bantamweight Krystal Rosado (2-0, 1KO)—on the main undercard.
“This is my first time in my career that I have a manager,” Gonzalez noted during the kickoff presser in San Juan. “Amanda has done right by my career.”
Gonzalez’s previous ring appearance in P.R. was all the way back in March 2017. Seven of his last nine bouts have taken place in the contiguous U.S., and the other two in Japan.
He will attempt the third defense of the WBO title he earned in an October 2021 points win over Elwin Soto in Fresno, California. Illness forced him out of back-to-back fights in an empty 2023 campaign, including a canceled three-belt unification bout versus lineal/WBC/WBA divisional champ Kenshiro Teraji (22-1, 14KOs) last April in Japan.
While his year ended without a fight, it also resulted in new representation. Serrano took in Gonzalez as her latest client, a role that includes his training alongside the record-setting seven-division champion. The veteran southpaw—who turns 33 in April—is eager to show his reborn form to the local fans for his first title fight at home.
“What a way to come home, to fight in front of 19,000 fans,” noted Gonzalez. “We’re not struggling to make weight. I want to make that clear. I’m going to make weight on March 1. We’re going to leave the ring as super champion.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox