Changing Room Chat: Gonzalez spends birthday in ring

PUNCHES win prizes. Jhonny Gonzalez has plenty of incentive to emulate his run of 11 consecutive stoppage victories when he faces fellow Mexican Daniel Ponce de Leon with his WBC featherweight title on 15 September.

To celebrate Mexican independence day, promoter Oscar De La Hoya has promised an additional $100,000 purse to the fighter who produces the best knockout win on a big Las Vegas card. Gonzalez, who will celebrate his 31st birthday that day, saw his run of inside-the-distance wins ended in his last bout in April, when he was stretched all the way by Elio Rojas. Gonzalez faces a mighty task against Ponce de Leon, a former WBO nine-stone champion.