Goossen Hopes His Long Layoff Leads to Payoff

By VINCE KOWALICK

May 9, 1997 12 AM PT

P.J. Goossen, when last seen wearing boxing gloves, appeared to be punching his way toward a payday. Nearly a year later, he still is waiting to be paid.

Goossen, 27, a junior middleweight from North Hollywood and undefeated in 17 fights, will get back to work with an eight-round bout against Tim Payton (26-34) tonight at the Hollywood Palladium.

The fight is Goossen’s first since last June, when he defeated Greg Lonon in 12 rounds at the Warner Center Marriott to win the International Boxing Organization title.

Pat Goossen, who trains and manages his son, anticipated a string of matchups for P.J., who has 11 knockouts and, despite a lack of flashy skills, has demonstrated some punching ability. But finding lucrative fights has been difficult.

Immediately after the title fight, there was talk of Goossen being matched against Roberto Duran. More recently, Goossen’s name surfaced in a national publication as a possible opponent for Sugar Ray Leonard.

“We’ve had about three or four fights fall through,” Pat Goossen said. “It’s been very frustrating.”

So much so that Goossen was contemplating retiring from the ring and making money the old-fashioned way.

“I was thinking about going out and getting a job,” Goossen said. “There are several things I could do. I just wasn’t getting paid and I was low on funds for a while. When you’re a boxer and you’re training, you expect to get paid.”

Matters brightened in February when Goossen signed a promotional contract with Santa Ana-based P.J. Promotions. Pat Goossen said P.J. received “a substantial signing bonus” and is expected to begin fighting regularly.

“Everybody thinks he took all this time off and he sat on his [behind],” Pat Goossen said. “But he’s been in the gym the whole year. He’s been working very hard.”

A silver lining to the layoff has been the healing of Goossen’s right hand. Goossen ruptured a tendon two years ago and the injury continued to plague him.

“My hand is fine,” Goossen said. “Maybe this little layoff is a blessing in disguise. I’m ready to begin knocking out people again.”

The fight is on the undercard of a 10-round main event between former world welterweight champion Carlos Palomino and Wilbert Garst.

Also scheduled is junior welterweight Hector Lopez of Palmdale against Omar Flores in a 10-round bout.

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Fight Night

Tonight at the Hollywood Palladium,

6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood.

* First bell, 7 p.m.

* Hector Lopez (34-6-1, 17 KOs) vs. Omar Flores (31-8-5, 18 KOs), 10 rounds, junior welterweights.

* Carlos Palomino (28-3-3) vs. Wilbert Garst (18-5-1, 13 KOs), 10 rounds, welterweights.

* P.J. Goossen (17-0, 11 KOs) vs. Tim Payton (26-34), 10 rounds, junior middleweights.

* Al Williams vs. Mario Osuna, eight rounds, heavyweights.