Julio César González Ibarra (born July 30, 1976) is a Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 and the former Lineal

Lineal championship

In professional boxing, the lineal championship of a weight class is a notional world championship title. It is initially held at some moment in time by a boxer universally acclaimed as the best in the class. Another boxer can win the lineal championship only by defeating the reigning lineal...

 & WBO light heavyweight

Light heavyweight

In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...

 champion.

Gonzalez was born in Guerrero Negro

Guerrero Negro

Guerrero Negro is the largest town located in the municipality of Mulegé in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur . It had a population of 13,054 in the 2010 census. Guerrero Negro is served by Guerrero Negro Airport.- Whale Festival :...

, Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur

Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...

, and still claims Mexico as his native country although he has lived in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 for several years. He has a son named Julio.

Amateur career

Gonzalez was a member of the 1996 Mexican Olympic team, boxing as a light heavyweight

Light heavyweight

In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...

. He was eliminated in the 1st round by eventual gold medalist Vasili Jirov of Kazakhstan.

Pro career

He entered the professional boxing ranks in 1997 after a moderately successful amateur career and gradually worked his way through the ranks of the light heavyweight journeymen. He had won his first 21 fights by the time he got his first chance at a boxing title, the reginal WBC

World Boxing Council

The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

 Fecarbox belt, on May 5, 2000. He defeated unbeaten fellow Mexican Jesus Ruiz on a ninth round technical knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

 in Commerce, California

Commerce, California

Commerce is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 12,823 at the 2010 census, up from 12,568 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by Vernon on the west, Los Angeles on the northwest, East Los Angeles on the north, Montebello on the east, Downey...

.

Gonzalez followed that victory up with five more wins, including a 12-round unanimous decision over Julian Letterlough

Julian Letterlough

Julian Letterlough, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was an American boxer. Known as "Mr. KO", Letterlough was boxer who was often featured on ESPN.-Pro career:...

 on February 2, 2001, that won him the regional NABO

North American Boxing Organization

The North American Boxing Organization is one of several regulators of boxing that works in North America. The NABO is one of the regional bodies that is part of the World Boxing Organization.Legendary Roy Jones Jr is former Light heavyweight champion....

 light heavyweight title - and propelled him into the No. 1 contender's position in several sanctioning bodies' ratings.

As the top contender, he earned a fight with WBC, WBA (Super), & IBF champion Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones, Jr. is an American boxer. As a professional he has captured numerous world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions...

 in July 2001, in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

. Gonzalez went the distance with Jones, but lost a unanimous decision for his first career setback.

He took seven months off after the loss to Jones before resuming his career and running off seven straight wins without a loss. Most notable in his comeback streak was a 10-round majority decision over former world champion Glencoffe Johnson on January 24, 2003.

WBO light heavyweight championship

Gonzalez earned his second shot at a world title on October 18, 2003, when he flew to Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 for a showdown with undefeated Dariusz Michalczewski

Dariusz Michalczewski

Dariusz Michalczewski is a retired Polish- German boxer and former Lineal, WBO, WBA, & IBF light heavyweight champion and WBO cruiserweight champion.-Early career:...

 for the Lineal

Lineal championship

In professional boxing, the lineal championship of a weight class is a notional world championship title. It is initially held at some moment in time by a boxer universally acclaimed as the best in the class. Another boxer can win the lineal championship only by defeating the reigning lineal...

 & WBO light heavyweight championship. Going into the fight, Michalczewski was positioned to tie Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...

's all-time record of 49 wins and no losses. He also was looking to extend his own world record of 23 straight successful defenses of the light heavyweight title.

In the fight, Gonzalez seemed to take control of the action in the middle rounds, and fought back strongly when Michalczewski, a knockout artist, got him in trouble a few times. When the fight was over, Gonzalez got the verdict on a 12-round split decision; the judge from Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 was the lone dissenter.

Gonzalez lost his title to Zsolt Erdei

Zsolt Erdei

Zsolt Erdei is a Hungarian boxer in the light heavyweight division. He is the former undefeated Lineal & WBO light heavyweight champion, and WBC cruiserweight champion. Erdei is also the first Hungarian to win a world title in two weight divisions.Erdei boxed at the 2000 Summer Olympics...

 on January 17, 2004, by unanimous decision.

He unsuccessfully challenged Clinton Woods

Clinton Woods

Clinton Woods , is a retired professional boxer from Sheffield, England. He is the former IBF, European, British, & Commonwealth light heavyweight champion....

 for the IBF

International Boxing Federation

The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

 light heavyweight title on September 9, 2005, losing by unanimous decision. He met Woods again in a title fight rematch on September 29, 2007. Woods again won the fight by unanimous decision.

In 2008 he was stopped by undefeated prospect Tavoris Cloud

Tavoris Cloud

Tavoris Karod Cloud is an American professional boxer born in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, and the current IBF light heavyweight champion.-Early life:...

.

Professional boxing record

|align="center" colspan=8|41 Wins (25 knockouts, 16 decisions), 7 Losses (1 by knockout, 6 by decision), 0 Draws
|-
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res.
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Felipe Romero
| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left|  Tavoris Cloud

Tavoris Cloud

Tavoris Karod Cloud is an American professional boxer born in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, and the current IBF light heavyweight champion.-Early life:...

| || 10 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Reggie Johnson
| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left|  Clinton Woods

Clinton Woods

Clinton Woods , is a retired professional boxer from Sheffield, England. He is the former IBF, European, British, & Commonwealth light heavyweight champion....

| || 12 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Vitaliy Kopytko
| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Rodney Moore

Rodney Moore (boxer)

Rodney Moore is an American boxer in the welter-/cruiser-weight class. He was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, but later moved with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Initially wanting to become a policeman, he changed his mind upon graduating from the I.S.T. Academy to become a boxer...

| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Jason DeLisle
| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left|  Clinton Woods

Clinton Woods

Clinton Woods , is a retired professional boxer from Sheffield, England. He is the former IBF, European, British, & Commonwealth light heavyweight champion....

| || 12 ||
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Montell Griffin

Montell Griffin

Montell Julian Griffin is an American boxer. He is best known for his two bouts at Light Heavyweight with Roy Jones Jr.- Professional career :...

| || 6 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  David Telesco
| || 8 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Orlando Rivera
| || 10 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left|  Zsolt Erdei

Zsolt Erdei

Zsolt Erdei is a Hungarian boxer in the light heavyweight division. He is the former undefeated Lineal & WBO light heavyweight champion, and WBC cruiserweight champion. Erdei is also the first Hungarian to win a world title in two weight divisions.Erdei boxed at the 2000 Summer Olympics...

| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Dariusz Michalczewski

Dariusz Michalczewski

Dariusz Michalczewski is a retired Polish- German boxer and former Lineal, WBO, WBA, & IBF light heavyweight champion and WBO cruiserweight champion.-Early career:...

| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Manu Ntoh
| || 10 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left|  Kenny Bowman
| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson (boxer)

Glengoffe Donovan Johnson is a professional boxer. Nicknamed Gentleman and The Road Warrior, Johnson is the former IBF and Ring magazine light heavyweight champion.-Amateur career:...

| || 10 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Thomas Reid
| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Jonathan Young
| || 9 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Joseph Kiwanuka

Joseph Kiwánuka

Joseph Kiwánuka, MAfr was a Ugandan prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Rubaga from 1960 until his death.-Biography:...

| || 7 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Tyrone Armstead
| || 2 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Roy Jones, Jr.
| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Konstantin Semerdjiev
| || 5 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Julian Letterlough

Julian Letterlough

Julian Letterlough, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was an American boxer. Known as "Mr. KO", Letterlough was boxer who was often featured on ESPN.-Pro career:...

| || 12 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Jorge Amparo
| || 5 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Patrick Swann
| || 4 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Tony Menefee
| || 4 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Jesus Ruiz
| || 9 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Dave Boone
| || 5 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Gary Campbell
| || 2 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Wilson Smith
| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left|  Akinobu Yamamura
| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Reggie Roberts
| ||8 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Francisco Barra
| || 3 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Paul Jones
| || 2 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Gustavo Enriquez
| ||6 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Charles Davis
| ||6 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Derrick Edwards
| ||6 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Aljenon DeBose
| || 4 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Calvin Combs
| || 5 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Jude Agu
| || 6 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Nathaniel Miles
| ||6 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Zaire Patterson
| ||4 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| James Brock
| || 2 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Charles Jefferson
| ||4 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Robert Rios
| || 1 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| James Brock
| || 1 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
| || align=left| Alex Federov
| || 2 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
||| align=left| Alex Federov
| ||4 ||
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center

External links