'A long time coming': Ellwood City boxer Rosalindo Morales ready for big stage
ELLWOOD CITY — When 29-year-old Rosalindo Morales steps through the ropes Friday night Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, Pa. to square off against Julian Gonzalez, the eight-round Super Featherweight bout will be a culmination of many years of hard work and determination for the Ellwood City resident.
Morales, who served his country in the Marine Corps Reserves, won the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves in 2016 and then turned pro in 2017 and has gradually worked his way up the rankings while remaining unbeaten at the pro level. On Friday, that work will pay off in a bout with Gonzalez on SHOWTIME's SHOBOX in a nationally televised matchup.
Heading into Friday night's bout against Gonzalez (8-1, 8 KOs), Morales sports a 9-0 record (2 KOs) and is coming off of a unanimous eight-round decision win over 30-fight veteran Jesus Ramon Perez, which was the co-main event at Meadows Racetrack & Casino on October 29, 2022. Though he's a bit unfamiliar with Gonzalez ahead of Friday's matchup, the Ellwood City resident is looking to seize upon the opportunity in front of him to continue chasing his dream.
“This fight has been a long time coming,” Morales said. “I have worked very hard for this, and I look forward to showing off my complete skillset on January 20th. I don’t know much about Gonzalez, but I do know that I plan on taking it to him and getting this win. I have been working hard my whole life for an opportunity like this and getting a win on this platform would mean everything to me.”
Boxing out of Dare to Be Great Boxing Gym in New Castle, Morales has been under the watchful eye of trainer Jae Rodgers for nearly a year and a half, and spars with up and coming Pittsburgh native Johnny Spell.
Though Gonzalez is largely unknown to the camp, Morales has a plan of attack, and that's to come out with pressure and counterpunching, taking it to his opponent when the opportunity presents itself.
"My style is pressure and counterpunching – both. I like to be able to do everything in the ring. I like to say I have the Mexican style," Morales said ahead of the fight against Gonzalez. "I check out videos with my coach. I checked out Julian Gonzalez. I think he's a pretty solid fighter. I think he's going to be a tough matchup for me. He looks strong and his record shows it, very balanced. We've been training getting ready for him.
"I like to represent the city where I started boxing, and where I'm from, I like to say – Ellwood City."
Born in San Antonio with one brother and one sister, Morales — along with his mother and sister — packed up and left Texas when he was 10 years old, aiming to get to Pennsylvania where his aunt and uncle lived. Their car broke down in Tennessee, but thanks to a good Samaritan, were able to get bus tickets and made the trip the rest of the way to Ellwood City, where he's lived ever since.
While in Ellwood City, Morales picked up boxing at the age of 13, thanks to a popular movie series.
"I was 13 when I started boxing. It was actually because of the Rocky movie," Morales said. "I was just so interested in the sport. I've always been a fighter growing up, fighting with my cousins and whatnot. I just asked my mom one day if I could join boxing. She is actually the one that found the gym for me. The next thing I know, she took me down there after basketball practice one day when I was in seventh grade. I never stopped since."
That love with boxing grew to where it is today. After spending six years in the Marine Corps Reserves with some active-duty time in a Scout Sniper Platoon, Morales got out of the Reserves for good in 2019 and focused on boxing.
After turning pro in 2017, Morales won his pro debut against Adam Young in 2017 by unanimous decision, and then defeated Latorie Woodberry in 2018 by majority decision.
2019 brought a unanimous decision over Jeremy Abram before he took 2020 off, returning to the ring in 2021 to defeat Ryizeemmion Ford by unanimous decision, Chancellor Battenberg by unanimous decision and Arturo de Isla by unanimous decision.
Three fights in 2022 brought three wins as well as Morales defeated Guadalupe Jimenez by TKO in the first round before then knocking out Ronald Harrison in the first round 1:38 into the fight on June before closing the year strong with the unanimous decision win over Jesus Ramon Perez, setting up the eight-round Super Featherweight bout against Gonzalez Friday night on SHOBOX.
The triple-header card starts at 9 p.m. ET on SHOWTIME.
Contact Joshua Carney at jcarney@gannett.com or 724-681-9136. Follow Joshua on Twitter: @ByJoshCarney
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 'A long time coming': Ellwood City boxer Rosalindo Morales ready for big stage
