Jessica Gonzalez Prieto – WOMEN BOXING ARCHIVE NETWORK

5’6″ Mexican bantamweight Jessica Gonzalez Prieto was born on 24 February 1988 in Mexico City. She has a degree in business administration from the Tecnologico de Monterrey campus in Santa Fe. Coming from a working class neighborhood in Mexico City where there is a lot of poverty and addiction among young people, Jessica has said she wants to be a healthy example of how things can be better. She looks forward to a future when she can buy a house and have her own boxing gym. She now trains at Bodega 54 and G3 Gym in Mexico City.

Jessica became interested in boxing at age 15. She went into amateur competitions and won the Mexican Golden Gloves title in 2007. She was the Mexican national champion in both 2007 and 2008.

She made her professional debut on March 26 2009 at the nightclub Discoteca Stratus in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Nazly Maldonado of Ciudada Azteca, México who fell to 0-2.

Gonzalez then spent several years “knocking on doors” to try to get further professional fights, but without success, while she completed her studies in business administration. She has said that she came close to dropping out of professional boxing altogether, but her love for the sport persisted. She fought three “no contests” in 2011 with the American boxers Jennifer Han and Keisher McLeod Wells as part of a TV reality show in Chiapas called “Champions Challenge”.

Her second pro fight came over three years later, on April 13 2012 at Parque Hidalgo in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico, where she won a six round majority (59-55,58-56,57-57) decision over Nayeli Jimenez Garcia of Zapopan, Mexico who fell to 1-2-1 with the loss.

She next fought on December 1, 2012 at the Parque Andrés Quintana Roo in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, losing an eight-round split decision to Magali Rodriguez of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, who improved to 11-4-1 (6 KO’s). Gonzalez has said she again thought about leaving professional boxing after this loss, but her biggest opportunities and biggest successes came in the following year.

On August 31, 2013 at Gimnasio San Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico, Jessica won a ten-round split (96-94,97-94,94-96) decision over previously undefeated Irma Garcia of Mexico City who fell to 7-1-1 (1 KO). Gonzalez took advantage of her greater reach and worked from the middle distance with her jab instead of going to press Garcia, who is usually a counterpuncher who looks to capitalize on her opponent’s mistakes. Gonzalez’s defense also frustrated Garcia who did not change her tactics even though she was having trouble getting past Gonzalez’s guard. Garcia’s WBA Bantamweight title was not on the line in this fight.

The surprising win over Irma Garcia put Jessica back in the spotlight and set up a match for the interim WBC Bantamweight title with 25-year-old IBF Bantamweight world champion Yazmin “Rusita” Rivas of Torreon, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico, a more established star of Mexcian female boxing.

On November 2, 2013 at Auditorio General Arteaga in Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico, Jessica (116 lbs) won a ten-round split (96-94,96-95,92-98) decision over Yazmin Rivas (5’4″, 116 lbs) for the interim WBC Bantamweight title. Rivas fell to 28-8 (9 KO’s) with the upset loss. The discrepant scoring and Gonzalez’s success in boxing the shorter Rivas at intermediate and long range (and tying her up at close quarters) added to the inevitable controversy after a close fight. A rematch with Rivas is to be scheduled.

Jessica says she is inspired by the technique and dedication of Mexican world champion Jackie Nava, and she has a goal to bring home the WBC world title, currently held by Australian Susie Ramadan.