Gonzalez: My first fight was in December of last year, since December 7, fighting for one year.

TL Fox: In that time, how many fights have you had?

Gonzalez: In that time I had 10 fights.

TL Fox: And you are fighting out of New Jersey?

Gonzalez: Yes…It was originally Newark, and then Carney. I was telling them (ESPN2) to make that correction. But I train in Newark. I do about a two-hour commute.

TL Fox: I know that you are an attorney---what made you decide to get into boxing?

Gonzalez: It was actually really by accident. I always enjoyed sports. My dad is a big fan of boxing. I was always very athletic, played college basketball, softball, and I even played Ice Hockey. I was missing that.....that competitive, although in the courtroom it’s just as competitive. I missed getting ready---getting conditioned. So I went to a boxing gym, and I started lifting weights. At the time I felt it was boring, but I think that part of not knowing the intricacies of lifting.  Now I work with strength trainer, Laurie Hill, and she is fantastic. The way that she has my workout,  it is arranged so that I don’t get bored, and that is remains competitive.  That is something that I need, and that is how I got hooked on boxing.

TL Fox: It is very easy to do to get hooked on boxing....

Gonzalez: And that was it, I stumbled up to the third floor of the gym, and there were two rings, I started hitting the bag, and one of the trainers said, "Ah, you’re not bad"  and I said "Yeah, Right."   But I thought... this is fun, I enjoy it, I’ll do it for exercise. Then a couple of months went by. The trainer then said, "why don’t you get in the ring to spar."  I said, "I don’t think so."  But, then I said, "you know what, let me just give it a shot."  Then after that, they said, "you know what the Golden Gloves are coming up." I said, "well you know what, I will do the Golden Gloves, give it a shot and that will be it."  But, after the one, I was just hooked.

TL Fox: It is amazing when you tell me this because seeing your abilities when you were fighting Bridgett Riley, especially in light of the fact that Riley has been boxing for a long time, and that she is a former kickboxer. Are you a former kickboxer?

Gonzalez: No, I have had no experience in any other contact sports.

TL Fox: Well you are extremely athletic then….

Gonzalez: I must give a lot of credit to my new trainer, Lenny DeJesus. He has had me for my last three fights. And he has done a 360 degree turn with me.

TL Fox: Well I feel you are doing extremely well in the sport especially for a newer boxer to the sport. The fight with you and Riley was a great fight.

TL Fox: Do you think that you will have a rematch with Riley?

Gonzalez: I hope so.

TL Fox: Did she talk about a rematch?

Gonzalez: We did that night. Actually my manager told her promoter that we wanted a rematch.

TL Fox: What response did Riley's promoter have when your manager asked for a rematch?

Gonzalez: He said, "Well, we will see."

TL Fox: Since boxing professionally, how do your peers (attorneys),  and judges react to you boxing?

Gonzalez: They actually enjoy it. On one occasion in particular,  there was an article in the Star Ledger about boxing, and they did a little excerpt on Red Brick where I work out.  There was a mention of me working out there---And the judges, they had a field day, they actually cut it out, and saved it for me. It was really funny.

TL Fox: Now are you a prosecuting attorney, or a criminal defense attorney?

Gonzalez: I was a prosecutor, and what I did was I took a leave, my mom had been ill. Instead of going back I went into my own private practice – matrimonial law.

TL Fox: How did you like being on a Sugar Ray Leonard card? Did you get to talk with him very much before the show?

Gonzalez: Yes, I got his autograph, and he actually had a party for us a night before the fight. Very nice. And the speech he gave was great.

TL Fox: How do you feel about the sport when people are saying you got ripped about the decision with Riley?

Gonzalez: The funny thing is, I enjoy the sport, I enjoy training, I enjoy going and performing and hopefully giving the fans what they come to see, and that is a good show.  You want them (boxing fans)  to leave saying, "Wow,  I really enjoyed that." So as long as the fans felt that it was a good fight, and then receiving recognition from WBAN, from ESPN2, and the people who stop in sometimes in my dad’s office commenting positively about the fight, that is what is important to me. 

A special thanks to Yolanda Gonzalez who took the time for me to be able to interview her one on one.