SAN ANTONIO — Erislandy Lara did exactly what he needed to do Saturday night at Frost Bank Center: win decisively, avoid damage, and keep his WBA middleweight title. What he didn’t do at least not until the final round was captivate the crowd.
Lara, 42, boxed safely and selectively for most of the 12-round bout before scoring knockdowns in the first and twelfth rounds to cement a lopsided decision over late replacement Johan Gonzalez. Judges Robert Hoyle (118–108), Jesse Reyes (120–106), and Ignacio Robles (119–107) all had it overwhelmingly in the champion’s favor.
With the victory, Lara (32-3-3, 19 KOs) extends his unbeaten run at middleweight to 5-0 since moving up from 154 in 2021, solidifying his status as the oldest active world champion in boxing.