Friday night marks the return of undefeated New Jersey native Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (15-0, 8 KOs), who is already getting back into the ring after a TKO stoppage of a gritty Julio Garcia just five weeks ago. The opponent on Friday evening will be Cuban super middleweight Lester Gonzalez (12-11-4, 6 KOs) at the Pennsylvania Metal Sheet Workers Hall, located at 1301 South Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia.
“This is something I couldn’t wait to see transpiring again,” Webster said of being active after he was out of the ring for most of 2013. “I’m staying healthy, maintaining my weight. I was trying to get back to fighting as a middleweight, but here I am fighting at super middleweight again. We’re just trying to keep the range from middleweight to super middleweight so all of these promoters can finally open their eyes and see how I function. Even some of the bigger name promoters who are interested in me are afraid to make a move because they feel that my skillset will be too difficult for them to match. Go figure, right?
“That says a lot about what I bring to the table, and I am just out here looking for my opportunity. We’re going to keep our range from 160 to 168 and stay active, keeping myself ready at all costs. Since my last fight, I have not taken a single day out of the gym, and we are making sure that I stay prepared for any opportunities that may happen to come our way.”
Staying busy was the most important initiative for Webster and his team as 2014 got underway, and getting an active start to the new year has unquestionably been inspiring for the undefeated Glassboro native.
“It keeps me hungry, man,” he confirmed. “It keeps me focused. It keeps me in the gym, away from all of the foolishness and foolish people. I just surround myself with people who keep me focused and keep me motivated. I don’t want anything except that kind of positivity in my life.”
The man standing across from Webster has a deceptive 12-11-4 record and is not someone whom he is taking likely. The Cuban boxer was unbeaten in his first 12 professional bouts, and Webster will be the 13th undefeated fighter that he has faced in his career. Of his last 17 bouts, Gonzalez has met eight unbeaten combatants to go along with five more fighters who had just a single defeat.
Despite those statistics, a confident Webster is more than ready to step into the ring on Friday night and show everyone exactly what he is capable of doing.
“I have to use my favorite word to describe how Friday night will be, and that’s explosive,” Webster predicted. “I bring a lot of character and style to the ring. The fans are definitely going to get what they want. The photographers are definitely going to get what they want. And that’s a big show. A knockout. I’m calling this fight the Southpaw Showdown. Anytime I fight a southpaw, it’s the Southpaw Showdown. I feel as though I’m the best southpaw in boxing. No one my height can come close to doing the things I can do.
“On Friday night, I’m going to take this boy to school, and he’s going to find out exactly who he has in front of him. Everybody keeps asking me ‘Do you know who you’re fighting?’ The real question is ‘Does he know who he’s fighting? Does he know what he’s about to stand in front of? Does he know what he’s getting ready to go against?’
“I think not.”
