Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez isn't just the team's biggest boxing fan; he is a disciple of the sport, and an active participant in the pugilist arena during the offseason.
You'll often see Gonzalez ringside for fights when baseball season is not in session and if you're lucky enough you might happen upon the Mexican-American slugger at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA.
Gonzalez trains at Wild Card in the offseason as well at his home gym in La Jolla, CA. While in Hollywood, his workouts are overseen by Marvin Somodio, an assistant to Roach and Manny Pacquiao.
Gonzalez was at the Wild Card Gym when the fight was first announced, and remembers the roller coaster of emotions that went through him when he finally knew the "Fight of the Century" was going to materialize.
"I just remember there was a lot of talk, a lot of chatter going on about negotiations and the back and forth of it while I was there training," he said. "It was on, it was off, it was on it was off, and so finally I heard it from Freddie [Roach] himself. He came in with Marvin and said the fight was on, everything had been finalized. I think everyone at the gym was excited. Everybody wants to see this fight."
As a fan of the sport, Gonzalez believes the fight is going to be one of the greatest of this era, but he's also hesitant that it's going to live up to all the hype. With Floyd Mayweather's proclivity to be conservative and defensive, the fight could be a boring affair.
"I think it's going to be a great fight," he told us. "I think everyone is excited for it. I'm hoping for a good fight. I'm hoping that both fighters come out swinging and get after it. Nobody wants to see a tentative fight even though that could happen."
Unfortunately for Gonzalez he might not be able to watch the fight as the Dodgers are scheduled for a 9:10PM EST game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"We have a game at 6:00, so it's probably going to be tough to watch it, but I'll record it and watch it when I get home."
Like many experts and enthusiasts of the sport, Gonzalez has a prediction for the fight, but his inability to predict a winner may surprise you.
"It's one of those fights where there is no clear-cut favorite," the 32-year-old NL Player of the Month for April said. "I can't predict a winner, so I'll just say it's going to be a draw. But I hope both fighters get after it."
'@MannyPacquiao media workout today at #WildCard. Worth noting -- same gym where @AdrianTitan23 trained in offseason https://t.co/24hYVc1pmE — Yvonne Carrasco (@yvonnecarrasco) April 15, 2015
