Gonzalez Is Extended in Beating Brooks

Vaunted Mexico City puncher Carlos Gonzalez had to go 10 rounds for a unanimous decision over Tim Brooks of Sacramento in a wild junior-welterweight fight at the Forum Monday night.

Gonzalez, 19, making his U.S. debut and fighting for only the third time outside Mexico City, improved his record to 31-0. He didn’t show the power that gave him 29 knockouts in Mexico--22 of them in three or fewer rounds--but he did show enough to pull the decision out over the last two rounds.

Brooks, 29, 13-10-1, put up an unexpectedly tough fight. Gonzalez began by applying a workmanlike, methodical beating upon Brooks for the first three rounds.

But the Sacramento fighter rallied in a wild fourth round, then won most of the middle rounds. There were no knockdowns, but Gonzalez (139 pounds) seemed close to stopping the fast-fading Brooks (141) in the ninth and 10th rounds.

Two judges scored it 97-93 for Gonzalez; the third, 97-94. The Times card had Gonzalez ahead, 96-94.

In two co-features, unbeaten Las Vegas lightweight David Sample improved to 18-0 with a majority decision over Venezuelan Ramon Zavala; and heavyweight Dave Dixon, in a comedy of errors, hit Lionel Butler low five times and was disqualified in the fourth round. Dixon is 11-2; Butler is 12-10-1.

Gonzalez-Brooks drew a standing ovation from the crowd of 5,566 for both fighters with 30 seconds to fight. Gonzalez earned $8,000.

Brooks seemed weary after three rounds. But halfway through the fourth, he unleashed a wild left hook that stung Gonzalez, and Brooks scored again with a big right 30 seconds later. And with five seconds left in the round, Brooks knocked Gonzalez’s mouthpiece out with a left hook.

The wild fourth put the crowd in the fight, decidedly on Brooks’ behalf.

But Gonzalez’s greater accuracy, his faster pace and slightly sharper punches finally caught up to Brooks in the ninth, when he seemed exhausted.