Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (16-0, 8 KOs) stayed busy on Friday night against Lester Gonzalez (12-12-4, 6 KOs), battling the gritty Cuban to an eventual six-round majority decision win in Philadelphia. The victory was the second for Webster in just five weeks.
“He was a tough dude. He definitely came to fight,” Webster said after the bout. “In the middle of the first round, I hit him with a left hand, and it feels like I fractured it. After that, I had to fight the rest of the fight with one hand.”
After suffering the injury, Webster relied on his seven-inch height advantage to keep Gonzalez at bay, and the hard pressing San Diego resident had a tough time getting inside the range of the 6-foot-4 Webster throughout the six frames of action.
“I don’t believe in pressure. I’ve always been an overcomer,” Webster commented about the disadvantageous situation. “I’ve always been able to overcome anything and get through anything. When I felt the injury to my hand, I knew I had to lay off it, but my trainer Denny Brown teaches me in the gym how to kill somebody with one hand. And I knew that I had the ability, the speed, the confidence and the power to do so.”
Without question, Gonzalez was a very game opponent who remained dangerous throughout the entire bout. He continually came forward with some winging overhands that appeared to have a decent amount of power on them, but Webster was able to avoid getting touched for the most part, backing up the Cuban with a crisp jab and using slick head movement to dip out of harm’s way. To compensate for virtually having one hand, he began to use more feints and stutter steps to throw off the rhythm of his opposition.
Over the first half of this contest, the New Jersey native did his best work when he was able to double up the jab and follow that with the straight left hand. The showmanship truly came out between these two combatants in the second half, beginning in the latter portion of the fourth round when both men dropped their hands and began to mix up exchanges with some good verbal altercations. The pace also increased the rest of the way as a result, much to the pleasure of the fans in attendance.
Staying behind the jab and using his footwork, Webster was able to finish stronger down the stretch, and the final outcome would eventually rely upon the analysis of the ringside judges. When tallies of 59-54 and 58-56 in favor of Webster were revealed alongside an even 57-57 count, the Glassboro native saw his perfect professional record increase to 16-0, also earning him the IBS Super Middleweight Championship.
When asked how 16-0 as a professional prize fighter felt to him, Webster offered a few adjectives.
“Great. Special. Different. Blessed,” he described. “I’m definitely ready for the next level, that’s what I’m shooting for. I’m 16-0. I wish my father was alive to see this. I wish my brother was alive to see this. I can’t explain it. I get to go home with a new piece of gold that I trained so hard to achieve. When I look at these things, I think about my children, and I think about where I’m really taking them. This is a very humbling experience that I’m going through.
“Not to take anything away from another fighter, but I’ve always set myself apart from all fighters. My story is just different. So keep your eyes on me. I’m about to take you on a ride.”
