Norcalboxing.net
Coley (right) and Gonzalez show some sportsmanship after the fight. (Ben Bautista)
"Gonzalez was no slouch," Coley told Norcalboxing.net. "One thing I learned about the pros is that every shot is hard. Getting hit on top of the head without the gear, you can actually feel it in your knees. You just have to come back faster and harder, and I think I did that."
Scores were 40-36 and 39-37 twice for Coley, whom USA Boxing ranked as high as sixth in the middleweight ranks as an amateur. Nicknamed "Heavy Metal" for his day job in his father's scrap yard, Coley has represented Northern/Central California's Region 11 as the 165-pound entrant in the national championships two consecutive years.
"Aaron was just really excited to be out there," Coley's trainer Ben Bautista said. "It was kind of different in there--the shots felt a little slippery for him--without a shirt and headgear. He didn't know he'd have a whole lot of gas in the fourth round, and when he did, he was able to finish strong."
Gonzalez was no stranger to combat sports, having amassed a 2-0 MMA record as a kickboxer. Coley reflected on the matchup.
"My key to winning was keeping my jab out there," he said. "He was tall, about six-foot-two or six-foot-three, and he was hard to reach at first. He was a southpaw, too, so I had to throw him off with the right jab and come over the top with the left. I had to make adjustments and I showed that I could do that tonight."
Now Coley looks at the next step, which is a possible return on June 2. For now, he will savor his first victory in the pro ranks.
"I had about 50 supporters, including my lady, 20 cousins, and both my grandmas," Coley said. "We got even shirts made. So to everyone out there who's supporting me, there's more to come. I'm working hard. Next time, I'll have my son at the fight. You'll be hearing more from me."
In the main event, exciting junior welterweight Alonso Loeza (1-5-1, 1 KO) of Gilroy was stopped in the second round from a final flurry by Jaime Ocegueda Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs) that was punctuated by a body shot. Official time was 2:08.
Special thanks to Manuel Acevedo for providing Norcalboxing.net with realtime updates via Twitter. Follow him: @H8ersH8en.
Norcalboxing.net's Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
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Congrats Aaron!!
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