With Takashi Miura and Miguel Berchelt eyeing a summer date to face off for the WBC title, Jhonny Gonzalez would like to fight the winner or face any beltholder at 130 pounds.

While awaiting any of those opportunities, Gonzalez keeps fighting and winning.

Gonzalez made quick work of Francisco Contreras on Saturday night, knocking out the fighter from the Dominican Republic in round three at the Gimnasio Municipal “Jose Neri Santos” in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

The 35-year-old Gonzalez has now won his last five bouts and improves to 63-10 (with 53 knockouts). Contreras falls to 30-6, 23 KOs.

Berchelt is scheduled to defend his WBC 130-pound title against Takashi Miura this June and Gonzalez is hoping to face the winner of that fight. He is ranked No. 6 by the WBC.

That remains to be seen, however. In the meantime, he faced Contreras, who entered the Gonzalez fight having won eight in a row.

After a dull opening two rounds, Gonzalez began to press the action. His persistence paid off as two left hooks to the head dropped Contreras to the canvas. Later in the round, Gonzalez dropped Contreras, this time with a left hook to the body.

Despite being game, Contreras went down a third time, again by a left hook to the body. Referee Rocky Burke stopped the bout as Contreras writhed in pain on the canvas.

“It was a little difficult in the beginning of the fight because we had to dissect his style,” said Gonzalez after the fight. “He utilized the ring, was elusive, and counter-punched. It was just a matter of time before we would catch him though.

“We dropped him with a punch to the head. Once we knew he was going to protect himself on top, that is when we attacked him to the body. He was going to be vulnerable there. He was not going to take those punches.”

Gonzalez could fight another tune-up bout in three or four months but hopes to land a major title opportunity in 2017.

“I’m ready for a world title bout. I’ll fight any of the beltholders but I’d like to see what happens in the Berchelt-Miura fight. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman told me I’m a possibility to face the winner. That’s what motivates me.”

Flyweight Lourdes Juarez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Karina Fernandez (9-2-1, 3 KOs). Scores were 98-92 twice and 100-90 in favor of Juarez, who improves to 19-2 (with 3 KOs).

Bantamweight Karim Arce, the nephew of Jorge “Travieso” Arce, won a six-round unanimous decision over Alonso Ronquillo (2-4-2). All three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Arce, who improves to 10-0 (with 4 KOs).

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper, BoxingScene.com and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.

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