DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A Delray Beach boxer refusing to let disability define him is celebrating a major victory and has a new belt to show for it.
Julian Gonzalez, who was born with one leg and missing a few fingers, has been training in the ring for two and a half years with dreams of becoming a professional boxer.
“All that work, the two and a half years, the weeks leading up to it,” Gonzalez said. "It was phenomenal. Phenomenal.”
WPTV reporter Victor Jorges first met Gonzalez in July when Gonzalez and his gym, The Phoenix Boxing Gym, were raising funds for a new prosthetic leg to help him move faster and train harder.
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Last month, Gonzalez faced an able-bodied, more experienced, and heavier opponent — and won.
“Be fast,” is what Gonzalez had to do, he told Jorges. "In my hands, in my speed, in my thinking."
“As soon as that bell rung and it was just me and him, all that completely washed away,” Gonzalez said. “The feeling of having my hand raised in that ring is like no other."
Coaches at Phoenix Boxing Gym in Delray Beach say the moment was unforgettable.
“I was chasing him around trying to get his wraps off his hands; he didn’t want to know,” said Michael Hockton, owner of The Phoenix. “I think he sleeps with that belt. It was superb.”
For Gonzalez, this first victory in the ring proved what he’s known all along. He can compete on equal footing.
“I am able to compete level to level with people who are two-legged,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like, with how I move, I move better than most people with two legs. My footwork is pretty decent.”
Now, Gonzalez is looking ahead to 2026, filled with more fights — and more wins.
“It went well, it went well,” he said with a smile.
After WPTV’s first story on Julian aired, the community rallied to support Gonzalez’s $20,000 goal for a new prosthetic leg. So far, they’ve raised more than $2,000.
“Thanks again to Channel 5 and Victor for giving us some exposure,” Hockton said. “We actually raised over $2,000 for his new prosthetic.”
If you’d like to donate to Julian’s fund for a new prosthetic, find out more here.
