The book on Johnny Spell is that he is almost too talented the Pittsburgh region he proudly represents.
All that has been missing to support that claim for the 27-year-old boxer is the right opponent to either showcase his skills or disprove the hype. Spell has that in front of him this weekend, as he faces Reading’s Julian Gonzalez (10-0-1, 9KOs) in a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout between cross-state prospects.
“I’ve been wanting this opportunity to fight someone like this, with a solid reputation and nice ring record,” Spell told BoxingScene.com. “I need wins like this to climb up the ladder.”
Gonzalez-Spell opens a three-fight telecast as part of Showtime’s long-running ShoBox series, this Friday from Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. D.C.’s Jordan White (14-1-1, 10KOs) faces unbeaten Dominican prospect Eridson Garcia (17-0, 11KOs) in a ten-round, junior lightweight bout in the evening’s main event.
On paper, Gonzalez represents by far the toughest opponent to date for Spell (8-0, 4KOs) as the local and more proven fighter. That fact is not lost on the visiting boxer who has fought exclusively on club shows prior to this weekend.
“We definitely got to step it up a notch in training,” noted Spell, who was previously the victim of an alleged accidental shooting but who made a full recovery. “We take every fight serious, but these are the fights that make you want to put in that extra work in the gym when you get an opponent you’re not expected to run through.
“For me, I don’t get too many great resources back home. So, we made sure to put in work in Baltimore and New York to help sharpen my tools for this fight.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox