Press Release: Joseph King Kong Agbeko will make the first defense of his IBF bantamweight championship against William “Chirizo” Gonzalez on Saturday in Ponce, Puerto Rico. “No one is taking my title,” Agbeko said.  “I’ve worked too hard for this.  I’m ready for a war if Gonzalez comes to fight.” Nothing in Gonzalez’s record (21-2, 19 KOs), including 19 of his 21 victories coming by knockout, indicates the Nicaraguan will be coming to do anything less than unseating the new champion. Agbeko (25-1, 22 KOs) won his title via seventh-round technical knockout over Luis “El Demoledor” Perez in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 29, 2007.  Perez had been a world champion since 2003, but the ringside physician felt he was taking too many head shots from Agbeko and asked the referee to halt the contest.

Agbeko was honored for his feat in Accra, the capital of his home country, with a parade where he was personally congratulated by the president of Ghana.

Now fighting out of John’s Gym in the Bronx, N.Y., Agbeko will conclude his training today (July 28) and will fly to Puerto Rico tomorrow to make final preparations.

Agbeko vs. Gonzalez is part of the “Night of Champions” fight card being staged at Ponce’s Auditorio Pachin Vicens on Saturday that will feature a second world championship pitting No. 1-ranked Juan “El Exterminador” Palacios (23-2, 18 KOs), from Nicaragua, against No. 3-ranked Omar “El Pastor” Soto (11-2-1, 6 KOs), from Puerto Rico, for the interim WBC strawweight championship.