Alejandro Gonzalez came up the hard way on the notorious Mexican circuit taking a few loses along the way but improving and becoming battle-hardened before upsetting then unbeaten WBC featherweight Kevin Kelley in a shootout in early 1995.

Gonzalez was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico on August 11, 1973. His beginnings were very typical for a young Mexican boxer.

"I had a nice childhood, but we were 5 siblings and barely had any money," Gonzalez told The Ring. "I watched how my mom and dad struggled.

"I promised my mom that when I became a world champion, I was going to buy her a house and it was the first thing I gave her thanks to boxing."

Boxing wasn't his first love although he did take it up at a young age.

"I played soccer, and I was a good player, they played dirty and [would] foul me a lot during the game and it bothered me and I got into fights," he recalled. "My [boxing] career started as a game. I was a neighborhood footballer, and I put on the gloves with my friends and that's how my career began."

His amateur career was relatively short, but he learnt a lot from the gym.

"I had 34 amateur fights, I only lost one," he said. "I fought with heavier guys because no one wanted to fight me.

"I sparred with experienced guys from Guadalajara. "Chatito Jauregui [a future] lightweight world champion with Willy Salazar, a [future world title challenger and] national champion."

Gonzalez turned professional in April 1988, at the tender age of 14, as a junior flyweight.

He lost his third fight but reeled off several wins, including a 10-round fight in his sixth outing that paid him a purse of 1200 pesos [roughly $64 USD.] He later won the Jalisco bantamweight state title at just 16.

The youngster lost his next fight to Josefino Suarez, who later fought for two versions of the bantamweight title.

Still as a teenager, he was fighting at 10-round level and went on to claim a WBC regional belt, which put him on course for a world title fight.

However, he still required seasoning, and he got that from four defenses, mixed in with other non-title fights. He was very active fighting five times in 1992 and 1993 and four times in 1994.

"They wanted to test me with a former world champion and world eliminator and they brought me to [former WBA bantamweight titlist Luisito] Espinoza and I passed the test," said Gonzalez, who did so with fly colors, stopping the Filipino in two-rounds.

"I asked for an eliminator with [Cesar] Soto and I went into his house and beat him and I became the No. 1 [with the WBC."]

Gonzalez secured a fight with highly regarded WBC boss Kevin Kelley. The two met on HBO in front of 8,000 fans in San Antonio, Texas in January 1995.

"I prepared for Kelley from August [1994] and I did a preparation fight with a lefty and I prepared with all southpaws and that made it that much easier and better," he said. "He was a monster; he was 41-0 with 28 knockouts and I was 34-2. It was practically a kid vs. and adult.

"Kelley offended me because he told me I was going to run like a chicken. He said he had more respect for Cobra Soto than Cobrita Gonzales and I told him he would eat his words and that's how it was."

The two went on to wage war. Both had moments but the challenger looked to be ahead and affirmed his position in the fight dropping Kelley in Round 6. The champion didn't going to go likely and responded his own knockdown in Round 8. However, the damage on Kelley was mounting up and at the conclusion of the 10th round Kelley's corned called off the fight due to both defending champion's eyes swelling shut.

Long before Guadalajara was gripped by Canelo mania, it celebrated Gonzalez great triumph.

"I didn't want to go out to dinner, I was very tired but the mariachi revived me and came and took me out of the room with the song, 'Guadalajara, Guadalajara' that gave me the strength to go out and celebrate that great achievement," he recalled. "[When I] arrived home the people of Guadalajara were waiting for me with the mariachi at the airport was full of followers.

"I got excited when I saw those people who came to welcome me. The airport was full and it was a dream."

Gonzalez didn't waste any time and returned in late March against former junior featherweight titlist Louie Espinoza at Arrowhead Pond, in Anaheim, California.

"He was No. 10 in the world and he was experienced," said Gonzalez. "He was tough, he hit very hard, but I managed to beat him by unanimous decision."

Gonzalez made his second defense against tough Philadelphia native Tony Green at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Connecticut in June 1995.

"With Green it was personal," said Gonzalez. "He told me that I was a child and was going to give me shit. I could have knocked out before [Round 9] but I wanted to punish him."

What came next was something of a surprise. Gonzalez headed to Sacramento and took on Manuel Medina in September 1995.

"With Medina I got careless," he admitted. "Medina beat me by luck, the truth is, there is a lot of history about that fight, they changed my opponent three weeks before the fight. [I was due to face] Hector Lizarraga, if I remember correctly. I am preparing for a strong fighter, not a running chicken.

"I wasn't doing well. I lost a lot of weight but thank God it didn't get any worse. I feel like I didn't win."

Medina went on to lose the title three-months later to Gonzalez former victim Espinoza. That lead to Gonzalez team bringing the Filipino to Guadalajara in March 1996.

"The second time I don't deny that he beat me," admitted Gonzalez. "He was good but the weight beat me. I lost a lot of weight to fight Espinosa for the second time. I told [my team] before going out to fight that I was going to fight to get the KO because I felt weak and I took a lot of risks and [he] connected [with a good punch] but if it had been the right weight I would KO'd him like the first time."

Gonzalez fought once in the fall before taking off nearly three-years.

"I got angry and I wanted to take a break," he said. "I was drinking a lot and used drugs. When I came back, I was clean again."

He returned at lightweight in November 1996 and went on to score wins over the likes of a young Steve Forbes (MD 12), grizzled veteran Frankie Warren (TKO 11) and then unheralded future two-division titleholder Orlando Salido (MD 10). The Mexican was defeated by Stevie Johnston (MD 12) but beat teak-tough John Brown (MD 10).

"Cobrita" had hoped to secure a title shot against either Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao but it never came to pass.

"I retired very young (29) because they offered me tough fights and I didn't have any money," he said. "I was even going to fight with Paquiao in 2004 or 2005 but for the miserable amount of $6,000."

Since retiring, Gonzalez (49-5-1, 33 knockouts) has worked to help other follow his footsteps.

"I have a gym called Olympico Cobrita Gonzalez and I am dedicated to creating champions," he said. "[Javier] "Chatito Jauregui", [Oscar] "Chololo" Larios, [Ulises] "Archie" Solis, Jorge Solis [are] among others [who have trained at my gym."]

Tragically, life has hit him harder outside the ring than it ever did inside. He has lost two of his son's, who were assassinated and his wife to COVID-19.

Gonzalez, now 51, still lives in Guadalajara and has two sons.

He graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

Kevin Kelley: "His jab was very quick. I studied it for more than a year, sparring with similar fighters with strong and fast jabs and I managed to master it."

Manuel Medina: "Very elusive, he didn't want the fight in the phone booth when we were close in."

Kelley: "Very fast and left-handed and difficult to decipher."

Kelley: "Kelly was the best because he was completely fast, hard hitting. I had to hit him to the body to take away his speed, etc."

Kelley: "He was able to make adjustments in the fight."

Kelley: "Kelley and Orlando Salido. Kelley was strong for me. I felt like I went through a battering ram in that fight."

Antonio Hernandez: "Monito Hernandez could endure a lot of good [punches to the] jaw."

Kelley: "He was already a 28-year-old adult, and I was 21 and still not that big, he was a man and I was a youngster."

Kelley: "His speed and hitting were very strong."

Kelley: "Kelly was a complete pound-for-pound boxer at that time we fought."